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THE 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR; 


OR,  A 

VISfT  TO  ST.  PETERSBURG, 


THE  WINTER  OF  1829-30. 


BY  THOMAS  RAIEES,  ESQ. 


A  chiel ’s  amang  ye  takin’  notes, 

And  faith  he’ll  prent  ’em.  burns. 


IN  TWO  VOLUMES. 

VOL.  I. 

PHILADELPHIA: 

LEA  &  BLANCHARD, 

SUCCESSORS  TO  CARET  &  CO. 


1838, 


KRIGGS  &  CO.,  PRINTER 


P  R  E  F  A  e  E. 

b 


/ 

The  power  of  Russia  is  becoming  daily  an 
object  of  such  importance  in  the  world,  that 
it  is  remarkable  so  little  has  been  written  of 
the  system  and  manners  of  a  country  which 
differs  so  essentially  from  all  the  civilized 
states  in  Europe. 

In  proportion  as  this  power  has  of  late  in¬ 
creased,  it  has  begun  to  clash  with  the  real 
interests  of  Great  Britain.  The  following 
remarks  on  the  construction  of  that  power, 
and  of  its  .objects,  mixed  up  with  a  view  of 
society  and  manners  at  St.  Petersburg,  may 
therefore  afford  both  information  and  amuse¬ 
ment  to  the  reader. 

The  Author. 

August,  1838. 


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CONTENTS 

OF 

VOLUME  FIRST. 


LETTER  I. 

Embarkation. — Miseries  of  a  Steam-boat. — An  entertaining  Com¬ 
panion. — Napolean  and  the  Imperial  Armies. — Stormy  Pas¬ 
sage.  Page  13 


LETTER  II. 

Hamburg. — ^The  Ramparts. — Stupendous  Bridge. — Costume  of 
the  Women. — Berlin. — Political  feeling. — German  Opera. — 
Royal  family. — Decay  of  Splendour.  -  -  -  21 


LETTER  III. 

Departure  from  Berlin.— Severity  of  the  Weather. — The  Vistula. 
Disastrous  Ferries. — Marienburg. — Antique  Castle. — Dreary 
Road. — Konigsberg. — Curious  Publication. — Napoleon  and  his 
Russian  Campaign. — Memel. — Execrable  Road. — Rositten. — 
Perilous  Situation. — ^Russian  Frontiers.  -  -  29 


Vlll 


CONTENTS 


LETTER  IV. 

Polangen. — Military  Inspectors. — Rigid  Scrutiny. — Boor’s  Wed¬ 
ding. — Mittau. — French  Innkeeper. — The  Bourbons. — Riga. — 
Narva. — Dreary  Scene. — Suburbs  of  Petersburg. — Russian  Dex¬ 
terity.  Page  39 


LETTER  V. 

Petersburg. — Magnificent  Buildings. — Inns. — Want  of  Accom¬ 
modation. — Emperor  Alexander. — His  philanthropic  views. — 
Accession  of  Nicholas. — Discontent  of  the  Army. — Severity  of 
the  Climate. — A  fruitful  Source  of  Conversation. — Curious  As- 
pect  of  the  Streets.  -  -  ...  46 


LETTER  VI. 

Churches  in  Petersburg. — Tomb  of  Kutusoff. — Choristers.^— 
Splendid  Tombs  of  the  Nobility.— Paintings. — Residence  of 
the  Archimandrite. — Splendour  of  the  Tauride  Palace. — Mining 
College. — Academy  of  Arts. — General  Education. — The  Em- 
press  Catherine  and  her  Court.  -  -  -  .57 


LETTER  VII. 

Emperor  Paul. — His  character  and  death. — Review  of  his  policy. 
— Accession  of  Alexander  and  of  Nicholas. — Archduke  Con¬ 
stantine. — Political  and  military  power  of  Russia — Her  civiliza¬ 
tion. — Former  despotism  of  her  Nobles.  •  -  71 


CONTENTS. 


IX 


LETTER  VIIL 

Statue  of  Peter  the  Great. — Anecdote  of  Napoleon, — Inconvenient 
embarrassment.— Post-office. — Imperial  Palace. — The  Hermi¬ 
tage,  and  its  splendid  paintings. — The  Weather*  Page  87 

r 


LETTER  IX. 

Pouschkin,  the  Byron  of  Russia. — Hie  writings,  and  deatli  by  du¬ 
elling. — The  Arsenal:  Trophies  of  war. — Magnificent  funeral 
car. — Pictures  of  the  Imperial  family. — Ice.hills. — The  Thea¬ 
tres. — Etiquette. — Equipages. — Military  colonization. — Magni¬ 
ficent  dinner  to  the  Emperor. — Taste  for  puns.  -  98 


LETTER  X. 

Academy  of  Sciences. — Burial-place  of  the  Sovereigns. — Peter 
the  Great,  the  Nobility,  and  Priesthood. — The  City  exposed  to 
sudden  inundation. — The  Marble  Palace — Population. — The 
Russian  Navy. — Military  power. — Policy  of  England  during 
the  war  between  Russia  and  Turkey*— Italian  Theatre.  112 


LETTER  XL 


Comparison  between  the  Labouring  Classes  of  England  and  Rus¬ 
sia. — Parochial  division  of  Russia.— Aristocratic  Associations. 


X 


CONTENTS. 


— Rights  of  Citizenship. — Internal  organization  of  the  country. 
— Policy  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas. — Causes  of  the  impoverish¬ 
ment  of  the  Nobility,  and  the  recent  change  for  the  better  in 
their  condition.  ....  pg^gg  23Q 


LETTER  XII. 


Celebration  of  New  Year’s  Day. — Number  and  variety  of  the 
Guests. — Causes  of  tlie  issue  of  the  late  Campaign  against  the 

Turks. — Generous  conduct  of  Count  W - . — Incongruities  in 

the  domestic  policy  of  Russia.  -  -  -  -  150 


LETTER  XIII. 


The  blessing  of  the  Waters. — Power  of  the  Emperor. — His  firm¬ 
ness  in  repressing  Abuses. — Peculation  at  the  Military  Hospi- 
tab— German  Alliances. — Paper  Money. — Foreign  Tradesmen 
in  Petersburg.  -  -  -  -  -  167 


LETTER  XIV. 


A  Russian  Wedding. - Funerals. - Baptism. - Education. - 

Ruined  Fortunes. — Private  habits  of  the  Emperor. — Reserve  in 
the  character  of  the  Russians. — Count  S.  Potocki. — Dulness  and 
Gloom  of  St.  Petersburg. — Police  Spies. — Inflexibility  of  Nicho¬ 
las. — The  Russian  Peasant. — The  Greek  Church. — Convents  in 
Russia. — Russian  Vices. — The  Climate.  -  -  179 


CONTENTS. 


XI 


LETTER  XV. 

The  English  Quay  and  Chapel  — The  English  Consul. — The  Eng¬ 
lish  Ambassador. — Foreign  Corps  diplomatique. — Russian  Car¬ 
nival. — Masked  Divertissement. — Malleability  of  the  Russians. 
— Thdr  genius  for  Music. — Their  love  of  servitude. — Cupidity 
of  Slave-masters. — Russian  Literature. — Printing  in  Russia. 

Page  196 


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THE 

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CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


LETTER  I. 


Embarkation. — Miseries  of  a  Steam-boat, — An  entertaining"  Com¬ 
panion. — Napolean  and  the  Imperial  Armies. — Stormy  Passage. 

On  board  the  W.  Jolliffe  Steamer> 
8th  November,  1829. 

My  dear - , 

I  WOULD  defy  the  wand  of  Harlequin  to 
effect  a  greater  change  of  scene  than  I  have 
experienced  in  one  short  hour.  At  twelve 
o’clock  last  night  I  quitted  a  well-known  re¬ 
sort  of  convivial  gaiety,  where  all  the  luxu¬ 
ries  of  a  London  life  are  combined,  with  an 
unsparing  hand,  to  suit  the  tastes  of  the  most 
fastidious,  and  at  one  in  the  morning  I  found 
myself  in  a  dirty  cabin,  where  the  glimmer 
of  one  flickering  lamp  just  served  to  render 
visible  three  or  four  camp-stools,  a  range  of 
VOL.  I. — 2 


14 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAK. 


musty  cradles  in  the  wall,  and  ^half  a  dozen 
German  Jews,  who  were  to  be  my  inevitable 
and  inseparable  companions  at  bed  and  board 
for  six  whole  mortal  days  and  nights  at  the 
least.  This  disheartening  scene  was  not 
improved  w^hen,  in  a  few  minutes  after  my 
arrival,  the  anchor  was  weighed,  and  the 
hammering  din  of  a  rickety  steam-engine 
informed  us  that  we  were  proceeding  down 
the  river  on  our  voyage. 

The  steam-boats  on  this  station  are  nearlj^ 
worn  out,  and  miserably  provided  with  eve¬ 
ry  thing  that  could  contribute  to  comfort: 
while  the  season  has  become  of  late  so  stormy 
in  the  North  Sea,  that  this  was  destined  to 
be  the  last  voyage  of  the  William  Jolliffe  for 
the  year ; — no  very  pleasant  information  to 
receive  after  we  w’^ere  finally  embarked. 

The  night  was  dark,  and  w^e  made  our 
way  beUveen  the  coasts  of  Kent  and  Essex, 
without  being  able  to  give  one  parting  look 
to  those  scenes  of  fertility  and  verdure  which 
we  never  could  see  again  till  we  returned  to 
the  English  shores.  I  fell  asleep  on  a  horse¬ 
hair  sofa,  nautically  termed  a  bed,  when 
Fancy  drew  a  veil  over  the  dirty  cabin,  and 
transported  me  back  for  a  few  hours  to  more 
agreeable  objects  in  the  parish  of  St.  James’s. 

When  I  went  on  deck  this  morning,  we 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


15 


liad  left  Margate  arid  Reculver  behind  us ; 
the  wide  interminable  ocean  was  in  front, 
towards  which  we  were  rapidly  advancing 
through  the  waves,  while  the  bright  blue 
sky  was  unobscured  by  a  single  cloud,  save 
and  except  that  black  curling  vapour  which 
issued  from  the  chimney  of  our  vessel  in 
successive  volumes,  marking  our  sooty  track, 
and  tainting  the  pure  atmosphere  behind  us. 

With  all  my  respect  for  steam,  and  the 
innumerable  advantages  which  I  believe  it 
is  doomed  in  time  to  confer  on  the  human 
race,  I  must  persist  in  thinking  the  steam¬ 
boat  a  very  unsightly  object  when  compared 
with  its  more  graceful  rival — the  ship  under 
sail. 

The  Chinese,  that  people  of  old  Lacque 
and  Mandarin  china,  who,  under  a  very  gro¬ 
tesque  exterior,  are  profound  philosophers, 
and  endowed  with  a  very  nice  sense  of  pro¬ 
priety,  have  conceived  a  horror  and  antipa¬ 
thy  for  the  steam-boat  which  nothing  can 
conquer ;  they  pretend  that  it  is  a  most  inde¬ 
cent  and  disgusting  invention. 

Without  entering  so  far  into  their  feelings, 
I  think  we  may  all  allow  that,  if  much  has 
been  gained  in  utility,  much  also  has  been 
lost  in  picturesque  beauty  and  appearance. 
We  may  not  be  accused  of  overrating  the 


16 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


one,  or  disparaging  the  other,  if  we  describe 
the  sailing-ship  as  the  symbol  of  poetry,  and 
the  steam-ship  as  the  emblem  of  prose. 

The  first — with  its  spiry  masts,  its  out¬ 
spread  sails,  and  flags  of  every  hue,  bound¬ 
ing  gracefully  on  the  wave  like  a  gigantic 
swan,  invoking  the  breeze  from  heaven  (as  it 
were  a  divine  inspiration)  to  aid  its  course, 
while  a  silver  foam  sparkles  round  its  taper 
flanks, — may  represent  a  poem  of  Dante  or 
Byron.  Then  the  steam-boat,  heavy  and 
massive,  like  an  enormous  log;  with  its  dark 
chimney,  and  its  iron  furnace,  vomiting 
smoke;  independent  of  the  breeze,  but  me¬ 
chanically  propelled  in  its  straightforward 
course ;  a  sure  and  useful  conveyance,  of 
cheap  access  to  all,  but  floundering  through 
the  waters  like  a  drowning  dog; — is  it  not  a 
chapter  of  dull  prose,  from  Blackstone  or 
Adam  Smith,  which  may  impart  much  in¬ 
formation,  but  little  amusement  ? 

Never  was  any  prose  so  dull  as  this  steam- 
packet  ;  our  time  is  passed  from  morning  till 
night  in  conjugating  the  verb  ennuyer.  I 
read  till  my  eyes  ache ;  but  when  the  cold 
dark  evening  compels  me  to  quit  the  deck, 
and  take  refuge  in  the  fetid  cabin,  no  words 
can  express  the  nausea  of  my  position. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


17 


9th  November. 

We  are  now  paddling  through  the  deep  at 

eight  knots  an  hour; 

# 

“  Quocunque  aspicias,  nihil  est  nisi  pontus  et  aer 

l~  , 

which  is  not  a  very  cheerful  prospect,  when 
combined  with  a  mizzling  rain  and  a  cold 
easterly  wind. 

Sitting  on  deck,  I  was  suddenly  surprised 
by  the  apparition  of  a  man  who,  I  supposed, 
must  have  fallen  from  the  sky,  as,  during  the 
two  days  we  have  been  shut  up  in  this  pri¬ 
son,  no  one  had  seen  him.  He  was  one  of 
the  first  arrivals  on  board,  and  immediately 
retreated  to  bed,  in  anticipation  of  the  sick¬ 
ness  which  he  expected.  That  operation 
performed,  he  came  out  like  a  giant  refreshed; 
and  proved  to  be  a  very  entertaining  F  rench- 
man,  full  of  anecdote,  with  whom  I  soon 
made  acquaintance.  It  is  evident  that  he  is 
no  friend  of  the  Bourbons,  and  still  clings  to 
the  recollection  of  his  Emperor,  under  whom 
he  served  in  many  campaigns  :  he  makes 
out  that  Charles  X.  is  very  unpopular  in 
France,  on  account  of  his  bigoted  feelings ; 
but  he  could  not  deny  that  the  country  it¬ 
self  was  in  a  state  of  unexampled  prosperity. 

The  soldiers  of  the  old  army  will  never 
2^ 


18 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


cease  to  regret  a  Chief  who  told  every  pri¬ 
vate  in  the  ranks  that  he  might  find  the  ba¬ 
ton  de  marechal  dans  son  sac^  and  offered 
them  the  plunder  of  all  Europe.  My  new’ 
acquaintance  told  me  a  trait  of  Napoleon, 
which  he  had  witnessed  himself,  and  was 
very  characteristic  of  the  influence  which 
he  possessed  over  .the  French  soldier. 

On  the  morning  of  the  battle  of  Leipzig, 
Napoleon  advanced  to  harangue  the  whole 
line ;  he  addressed  himself  first,  through  an 
interpreter,  to  the  Saxon  and  German  auxi¬ 
liaries,  (who  still  remained  with  him,)  in  a 
long  speech,  calculated  to  excite  their  ardour 
and  animate  their  courage.  It  had  evidently 
no  effect ;  they  listened  without  interest  or 
attention.  Nettled  at  his  want  of  success, 
he  galloped  up  to  the  French  line  in  very 
ill-humour,  and  said  in  a  caustic  tone, 
“Franqais!  je  n’ai  rien  a  vous  dire:  vous 
avez  jure  de  vainer e  on  de  mourir ;  faites 
votre  devoir!”  And  the  whole  air  resounded 
w  ith  cries  of  Viue  T Empereur! 

This  story  drew  the  Frenchman  into  some 
very  unqualified  abuse  of  the  foreign  powers, 
wdio  had  not  only  deserted  Napoleon  in  his 
reverses,  but  had  turned  their  arms  against 
him  and  conspired  his  downfal.  Upon 
w^hich  a  little  Prussian  Jew,  seated  near  us 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


19 


on  the  capstan,  took  fire,  and  treated  the 
great  Emperor  with  very  little  ceremony. 
His  family,  it  appeared,  had  been  ruined  by 
the  F rench  occupation  of  Berlin ;  and  he 
went  so  far  as  to  call  the  imperial  armies  a 
set  of  robbers  and  plunderers. 

High  words  ensued,  and  the  captain  with 
myself  had  some  difficulty  in  restoring  peace 
on  deck ;  but  during  the  rest  of  the  voyage, 
whenever  the  Frenchman  met  his  antagonist, 
he  made  a  low  bow,  and  affecting  to  address 
him  with  the  usual  German  salutation,  Ge- 
liorsam,er  dienerT  which  means  “obedient 
servant,”  he  muttered  with  a  leer,  “  Cochon 
a  V or — dinaire but  so  intelligibly  to  me, 
whom  he  had  initiated  into  his  secret,  that  I 
could  not  refrain  from  laughing. 

Our  voyage  is  nearly  at  an  end,  but  not 
our  danger.  After  a  stormy  passage,  in 
wffiich  the  action  of  the  engine  seemed  to 
strain  every  beam  of  the  vessel  as  if  she  was 
hourly  going  to  pieces,  amidst  sickness  and 
noise  which  precluded  all  chance  of  sleep, 
we  are  now  opposite  to  Cuxhaven,  lying  at 
anchor  between  two  sandbanks  during  a  bois¬ 
terous  night,  with  the  certainty,  if  we  part 
from  our  cables,  to  meet  with  that  grave 
which  has  ingulfed  so  many  vessels  on  this 
coast. 


20 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


I  have  written  to  our  friend - ,  who  ac¬ 
companied  Lord - on  his  mission  to  Pe¬ 

tersburg,  requesting  he  would  send  me  a  let¬ 
ter  of  introduction  to  one  of  those  numerous 
friends  who  received  him  with  so  much  kind¬ 
ness  and  hospitality  during  his  stay  in  that 
capital,  and  of  which  he  has  related  to  us  so 
many  examples.  As  there  is  nothing  to  in¬ 
duce  me  to  tarry  long  in  Hamburg,  I  shall 
make  the  best  of  my  way  to  Berlin  as  soon 
as  my  baggage  is  landed,  and  I  have  bought 
the  necessary  furs  for  my  northern  journey. 

Adieu  1 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


21 


r 

LETTER  IL 


Hamburg.— rThe  Ramparts. — Stupendous  Bridge. — Costume  of 
the  Women. — Berlin. — Political  feeling. — German  Opera. — 
Royal  family. — Decay  of  Splendour. 

Berlin,  18th  November,  1829. 

My  dear - , 

I  KNOW  not  how  to  describe  the  progress 
of  our  steam-boat  to  Hamburg :  I  cannot  say, 
as  formerly,  we  sailed  up  the  Elbe,  or  we 
rowed  up  the  Elbe;  the  only  appropriate  term 
I  can  find  is,  we  paddled  up  the  Elbe  at  a 
boiling  rate,  though  a  severe  frost  bad  set 
in,  and  tlie  banks  were  covered  with  snow. 
I  found  a  good  inn,  (the  Hotel  de  Russie,)  on 
the  Jungfernstieg,  with  a  tolerable  dinner,  in 
which  the  sauer  krauts  and  the  stewed  prunes, 
were,  as  usual,  not  omitted.  The  town  of 
Hamburg  is  much  altered  since  my  last 
visit;  and  the  rage  for  building  has  been  as 
prevalent  there  as  in  Paris  or  London,  with¬ 
out  entailing  the  same  ruinous  consequences 


22 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


on  the  speculators.  There  are  mansions 
which  have  cost  from  £20,000  to  £30,000 ; 
and  a  plot  of  ground,  not  more  than  three 
acres,  near  the  Jungfernstieg,  sold  lately  for 
£14,000. 

The  ramparts  which  formerly  protected 
this  nest  of  commerce,  and  rendered  it  such 
a  formidable  fortress  in  the  time  of  Napoleon, 
are  now  razed  to  the  ground ;  and  the  space 
is  laid  out  in  public  walks  and  plantations, 
which  are  a  great  ornament  to  the  city.  The 
French  have  left  their  traces,  both  good  and 
bad,  as  usual :  their  severity  and  extortions 
under  Bourrienne  are  still  remembered  with 
a  shudder,  and  many  a  senator  recollects  the 
period  when  his  head  was  security  for  the 
payment  of  the  contributions.  The  wonder¬ 
ful  wooden  bridge  which  they  built  from 
Hamburg  over  the  Elbe  to  Harburg,  in  the 
Hanoverian  territory,  extended  for  a  space  of 
ten  English  miles,  and  was  a  master-piece  of 
labour  and  ingenuity.  The  materials  were 
supplied  by  a  forcible  appeal  to  all  the  timber- 
merchants  there  and  in  the  neighbouring 
towns,  most  of  whom  were  ruined  by  this 
arbitrary  act.  When  once  accomplished, 
this  stupendous  work  became  a  real  benefit 
to  the  country,  and  ought  to  have  been  kept 
up;  but  though  the  Hamburgers  offered  to 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


23 


contribute  half  the  expense,  they  found  no 
corresponding  disposition  in  the  Hanoverian 
government  to  assist  the  common  object,  and 
fifteen  years  of  neglect  have  almost  destroyed 
every  vestige  of  this  gigantic  undertaking. 
Thqre  is  still  a  great  air  of  opulence  in  the 
city;  the  trade  of  Hamburg,  though  not  so 
extensive  as  during  the  late  war,  has  flou¬ 
rished  on  the  spoils  of  the  British  commerce; 
the  harbour  is  full  of  ships,  and  the  w^are- 
houses  teem  with  goods,  which  supply  the 
constant  demand  of  the  German  consumer. 
Immense  fortunes  have  been  accumulated, 
and  have  survived  the  pressure  of  French 
exactions.  Mr.  M.  J.  Jenisch  died  a  year 
ago,  leaving  three  children,  to  each  of  whom 
he  bequeathed  a  fortune  of  £400,000  ster- 
ling. 

The  dress  of  the  women  has  been  much 
improved  by  their  French  invaders,  whose 
rearguard,  wherever  they  settle,  is  quickly 
followed  by  a  host  of  milliners  and  hair¬ 
dressers,  who  finally  make  a  more  lasting 
impression  on  the  natives  than  their  military 
companions.  Every  other  trace  of  their  oc¬ 
cupation  has  vanished;  the  great  bridge  is  de¬ 
stroyed,  the  senate  has  resumed  its  lost  dig¬ 
nity,  and  the  burgher  guard  struts  again  with 
an  air  of  importance :  but  the  ladies  retain 


24 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


their  French  hats,  their  French  robes,  and 
await  with  anxiety  the  latest  fashions  from 
Paris;  while  the  Hamburg  grisette,  who  was 
formerly  proud  of  her  stuff  petticoat  and  her 
gold-laced  head-attire,  now  trips  about  the 
streets  with  a  pretty  bonnet  en  tulle^  a  black 
silk  apron,  and  a  well-made  shoe,  like  her 
prototype  in  the  Rue  Vivienne.  That  moral 
influence  over  the  civilized  world,  of  wRich 
the  French  boast  with  so  much  pretension, 
hath  this  extent,  no  more;”’  their  mantua- 
makers  and  milliners  are  their  only  law¬ 
givers  to  Europe,  but  these  it  must  be  allowed 
are  supreme: 

“  Elle  se  font  introduire 
“Ou  le  plus  fier  tyran  ne  peut  avoir  d’empire.” 

I  pursued  my  journey  from  thence  to  Ber¬ 
lin  with  as  much  speed  as  thirty-seven  Ger¬ 
man  miles  of  the  most  execrable  roads  would 
permit,  and  arrived  here  on  Sunday  morn¬ 
ing.  The  inns  are  bad,  but  the  town  itself 
is  wonderfully  improved  of  late  years  in  ap¬ 
pearance:  some  magnificent  public  buildings 
have  been  erected;  and,  in  walking  up  the 
Linden^  the  stranger’s  eye  is  attracted  by  two 
fine  statues  which  a  grateful  country  has  de¬ 
dicated  to  the  memory  of  her  brave  defen¬ 
ders,' Blucher  and  Bulow  Dennewitz.  For- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


25 


merly  the  bias  of  political  feeling  in  Prussia 
was  alternately  French  or  English,  but  now 
the  compass  at  Berlin  points  solely  to  the 
North;  every  thing  here  is  Russian, — family 
alliances,  diplomatic  connexions,  and,  more 
perhaps  than  all,  a  community  of  past  suffer¬ 
ings,  avenged  at  last  by  one  common  triumph, 
have  so  completely  united  the  interests  of 
these  two  powers,  that,  if  a  war  should  oc¬ 
cur  in  Europe,  they  must  be  inseparable. 
An  army  of  240,000  of  the  best  disciplined 
troops  in  the  world,  with  the  reserve  of  the 
Landwehr,  and  a  well-regulated  system  of 
finances,  must  rank  Prussia  amongst  the  first- 
rate  European  powers,  and  render  her  a  for¬ 
midable  ally  in  the  scale  of  Russia.  There 
still  remains  a  decided  feeling  of  hatred  to 
Austria,  which  time  will  never  remove:  as  to 
England,  they  seem  to  consider  us  here  as  a 
mere  nullity. 

The  late  events  in  the  East  are  trumpeted 
forth  by  the  advocates  of  Russian  influence 
as  a  fresh  proof  of  her  stupendous  power. 
Why,  then,  did  Diebitsh  stop  at  Adrianople? 
Constantinople,  that  darling  object  of  Rus¬ 
sian  ambition  since  the  time  of  Catherine, 
must  have  been  within  his  grasp.  Perhaps, 
when  I  get  to  the  fountain-head,  I  may  learn 
something  more  .f  that  mysterious  affair.  It 

VOL.  I. — 3 


26 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


would  not  surprise  me  much  if  that  power, 
which  is  here  called  a  nullity,  had  interposed, 
and  arrested  the  march  of  the  conquerors. 

There  is  a  hne  German  Opera  at  Berlin; 
and  a  representation  of  Goethe’s  Faust  was 
given  last  night  on  a  very  magnificent  scale: 
it  is  far  more  impressive  in  the  original  lan¬ 
guage  than  in  any  translation;  and  the  mys¬ 
tic  scenes,  in  which  it  abounds,  are  well 
adapted  to  suit  the  legendary  taste  of  the 
Germans. ' 

The  royal  family  live  in  great  privacy;  the 
king  is  growing  old,  and  seems  only  to  wish 
that  a  life  which  has  been  chequered  by  so 
many  vicissitudes,  may  be  closed  in  peace 
abroad,  and  tranquillity  at  home.  There  is 
little  society  or  amusement  to  attract  a  stran¬ 
ger;  the  quiet  streets,  the  scanty  equipages, 
and  the  little  movement  which  is  seen,  ex¬ 
cept  here  and  there  amongst  the  military, 
give  to  Berlin  rather  the  air  of  a  great  pro¬ 
vincial  town  with  a  numerous  garrison,  than 
the  animated  aspect  of  a  great  and  busy  ca¬ 
pital.  I  have  found  an  old  friend  in  our  Eng¬ 
lish  minister.  Sir  B —  T — ,  who  has  not  only 
given  me  a  most  kind  and  hospitable  recep¬ 
tion,  but  also  a  passport  as  courier,  which 
will  be  of  great  use  in  procuring  post-horses 
through  the  Russian  dominions.  Many  years 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


27 


have  now  elapsed  since  I  was  last  at  Berlin: 
I  was  then  a  young  man  of  twenty,  sent  (as 
it  was  called  in  those  days)  on  my  travels; 
and,  God  knows,  they  w^ere  then  very  limit¬ 
ed,  as  France  and  Italy  were  hermetically 
seaM  up  to  every  Englishman.  We  could 
go  to  Dresden,  Vienna,  and  to  the  North 
Pole,  if  we  pleased;  but  the  grand  tour,  which 
formerly  gave  the  finishing  touch  to  an  Eng¬ 
lish  education,  was  no  longer  practicable. 

At  that  period  Berlin  was  a^  very  pleasant 
and  hospitable  residence:  the  court  gave  fre¬ 
quent  receptions ;  the  hotels  of  Princes  Hen¬ 
ry,  the  old  Prince  Ferdinand,  and  Prince 
Radzivil,  were  open  every  evening  with  cards 
arid  supper,  where  the  best  society  was  con¬ 
stantly  assembled;  independent  of  which  there 
were  numerous  dinners  and  balls  constantly 
given  by  the  ministers  and  principal  nobility, 
who  were  unremitting  in  their  attentions  to 
foreigners.  The  memory  of  Frederick  the 
Great  was  then  fresh  in  every  one’s  recol¬ 
lection, — ^he  was  styled  the  captain  of  the 
age;  another  has  since  arisen,  who  not  only 
eclipsed  his  fame,  but  nearly  destroyed  his 
monarchy. 

I  can  see  no  traces  of  this  former  splen¬ 
dour  in  the  dull  capital  which  is  now  before 
my  eyes;  every  thing  bears  the  stamp  of  a 


28 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


government  chastened  and-  sobered  by  ad¬ 
versity,  which  hardly  dares  to  trust  the  dura¬ 
tion  of  its  returning  prosperity. 

Nations,  in  fact,  are  only  en  gros  what  in¬ 
dividuals  are  detail.  I  have  seen  many  a 
man  born  to  affluence,  and  overtaken  by  ca¬ 
lamities,  who,  when  Fortune  afterwards  re¬ 
stored  her  favours,  received  them  with  cau¬ 
tion  and  distrust.  A  monarch,  who  has  once 
seen  a  foreign  invader  dictate  arbitrary  terms 
of  humiliation  to  him  in  his  own  palace,  may 
well  be  convinced  of  the  fallacy  and  uncer¬ 
tainty  of  all  human  grandeur.  Such  is  Ber¬ 
lin  at  the  present  moment;  but  as  we  have 
lived  to  see  the  reign  of  anarchy,  and  then 
the  thirst  for  unlimited  conquest,  succes¬ 
sively  extinguished  in  Europe,  we  may  hope 
that  peace  and  tranquillity  are  likely  to  be 
long  preserved. 

I  shall  write  you  again  when  I  am  farther 
advanced  on  my  journey. 


Yours  ever. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


29 


r 

LETTER  III. 

Departure  from  Berlin. — Severity  of  the  Weather. — The  Vistula. 
Disastrous  Ferries. — Marienburg. — Antique  Castle. — Dreary 
Road. — Konigsberg. — Curious  Publication. — Napoleon  and  his 
Russian  Campaign. — Meniel. — Execrable  Road. — Rositten. — 
Perilous  Situation. — Russian  Frontiers. 

Konigsberg,  23d  November,  1829, 

My  dear - , 

I  LEFT  Berlin,  the  day  after  I  wrote  to 
you,  for  Konigsberg,  and  was  agreeably  sur¬ 
prised  at  finding  a  smooth  macadamized  road, 
with  a  row  of  poplars  planted  on  each  side, 
to  mark  the  proper  track  when  the  ground 
is  covered  with  snow. 

The  Northern  bias  of  this  government  is 
visible  in  the  pains  and  expense  which  have 
been  lavished  in  thus  facilitating  the  com¬ 
munication  with  Russia.  While  the  other 
roads  leading  from  this  capital  are  left  to 
their  fate,  these  eighty  German  miles,  more 
than  equal  to  four  hundred  English,  are  as 
3^ 


30 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


level  and  as  Avell  kept  np  as  the  road  to . 
Newmarket.  This  work  of  modern  civili¬ 
zation  forms  a  striking  contrast  with  the 
desolate  and  *  thinly  inhabited  tract  of  coun¬ 
try  through  which  it  winds. 

The  weather  was  bitterly  cold,  the  snow 
fell  abundantly,  and  we  soon  had  a  flat  white 
surface  before  us  of  great  extent,  on  which 
the  postillions  could  never  have  discerned  the 
road  for  five  minutes  together,  without  the 
aid  of  these  landmarks.  As  it  was,  we  moved 
on  rapidly^  night  and  day,  always  finding 
some  tolerable  refreshments  at  the  post- 
houses  ;  but  meeting  no  travellers,  except  a 
wagon  full  of  German  Jews  returning  from 
the  Francfort  fair,  till  we  arrived  at  Dres- 
chau,  on  the  banks  of  the  Vistula,  late  on 
Frida}^  evening. 

Here  then  we  were  to  pass  that  river  which 
sealed  the  downfal  of  Napoleon,  and  here 
was  the  commencement  of  my  difficulties.  I 
lay  down  to  sleep  for  a  few  hours;  the  frost 
was  intense ;  and,  when  daylight  appeared, 
the  Vistula  presented  a  mass  of  floating  ice, 
which  the  boatmen  seemed  afraid  to  encoun¬ 
ter.  The  carriage  was  already  on  board  the 
prahm;  no  time  was  to  be  lost,  and  the  in¬ 
ducement  of  a  dollar  turned  the  scale.  We 
pushed  off  from  the  bank,  and  notwithstand- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


31 


ng  all  the  efforts  of  the  crew,  were  nearly 
carried  down  by  the  stream;  we  struggled 
for  three  hours  against  the  combined  ele¬ 
ments  of  wind  and  water,  till  at  last  we  de¬ 
feated  them  both,  and  reached  the  opposite 
shoi^  in  safety. 

We  then  travelled  two  German  miles  far¬ 
ther  to  Marienburg,  where  a  repetition  of  the 
same  contest  awaited  us  on  the  Nogat,  a 
branch  of  the  same  river,  less  broad,  and  con¬ 
sequently  more  choked  up  with  ice.  Here 
we  were  literally  frozen  up  in  the  middle  of 
the  stream,  with  every  prospect  of  remaining 
there  till  the  whole  river  became  solid,  and 
we  could  walk  to  land ;  oars  and  poles  were 
no  longer  of  any  use;  a  rope  was  fixed  to  the 
prahm,  twelve  stout  horses  were  harnessed 
to  the  rope,  and  after  much  whipping,  strug¬ 
gling,  and  swearing,  a  loud  crash  announced 
our  liberation,  and  we  were  gradually  towed 
into  port,  having  spent  a  whole  day  at  these 
two  disastrous  ferries. 

.  I  saw  little  of  the  town  of  Marienburg;  the 
most  conspicuous  object  in  it  is  a  large  an¬ 
tique  castle  on  the  heights  overlooking  the 
river,  which  is  fitted  up  as  a  palace,  to  re¬ 
ceive  the  royal  families  of  Russia  and  Prus¬ 
sia  on  their  frequent  journeys  between  Pe¬ 
tersburg  and  Berlin. 


32 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


‘  On  this  dreary  road  there  is  really  nothing 
worthy  of  notice:  yon  feel  an  extraordinary 
impatience  to  arrive  at  the  next  post-house  ; 
and;  when  there,  as  great  an  impatience  to 
quit  it.  In  this  manner  we  travelled  on  to 
Elbing,  and  from  thence  to  Konigsberg, 
where  I  put  up  at  the  Hotel  d’Allemagne, 
and  without  loss  of  time  ordered  a  dinner  and 
a  bed,  as  from  this  point  we  have  still  a  dis¬ 
tance  of  eight  hundred  English  miles  to  Pe¬ 
tersburg.  The  diary  of  a  traveller  who  is 
whirled  so  expeditiously  through  a  very  un¬ 
interesting  country,  cannot  afford  you  much 
amusement. 

In  less  than  half  a  sheet  I  have  carried  you 
with  me  through  four  hundred  miles,  ventre 
a  terre;  we  may,  therefore,  both  stop  to  take 
breath:  but  how  different  are  our  two  resting- 
places! 

You  have  probably  dined  sumptuously  at 

the  table  of  that  prince  of  good  fellows - , 

and  are  at  this  hour  cutting  into  a  rubber  of 
whist  at  White’s,  or  amused  with  the  jibes 
and  jokes  of  sundry  wags  at  Crocky’s;  while 
here  am  I  in  a  dirty  dreary  room,  after  a  soli¬ 
tary  meal,  half  suffocated  with  the  faint  heat 
of  a  German  stove,  while  the  cold  without  is 
ten  degrees  below  the  freezing  point. 

My  carriage  is  fortunately  well  stored  with 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


33 


books ;  among  those  which  I  picked  up  at 
Berlin  is  a  curious  publication,  printed  in 
1787,  called  Correspondence  seer  Me,  po¬ 
litique  et  litteraire,”  in  which  there  are  num¬ 
berless  laughable  as  well  as  interesting  anec¬ 
dotes^!  that  period. 

Take  the  following  as  the  sample  of  the 
first : 

“  Deux  dames  sent  allees  aux  petites  mai- 
sons,  Hopital  des  Fous,  la  veille  du  tirage  de 
notre  fameuse  Loterie  Genoise,  pour  se  faire 
choisir  cinq  numeros:  le  fou,  a  qui  elles  s’ad- 
resserent,  reva  avec  beaucoup  d’attention, 
ecrivit  elfectivement  cinq  numeros  sur  un 
petit  papier,  le  roula  et  puis  I’avala,  en  di- 
sant,  ‘fMesdames,  je  puis  vous  assurer  que 
ces  cinq  numeros  sortiront  domain.’  ” 

Est-ce  que  ce  petit  fagot  ne  vous  fera  pas 
rire? 

.  The  writer  quotes  the  following  severe 
epitaph,  made  for  Louis Ihe  Fifteenth: 

) 

“  Louis  le  quinzieme, 

Du  nom  de  Bicn-aime  le  deuxieme: 

Dieu  nous  preserve  du  troisieme!” 

There  are  only  eighteen  volumes  of  these 
hetises,  which  are  very  amusing  companions 
in  a  post-chaise. 


34 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


Konigsberg  is  a  considerable  town,  but  the 
streets  are  narrow;  there  are  some  fine  build¬ 
ings,  and  a  large  regal  palace,  which  is  kept 
in  repair,  and  furnished,  but  in  the  most  sim¬ 
ple  manner,  to  receive  the  two  royal  families 
as  they  journey  to  and  from  Petersburg  and 
Berlin. 

Napoleon  took  up  his  quarters  here  in 
1811,  on  commencing  his  Russian  campaign; 
the  bed  in  which  he  slept  is  still  shown  as  a 
curiosity,  though  his  memory  is  not  treated 
with  much  respect.  He  was  attended  by  a 
numerous  suite  of  servants,  carriages,  and 
horses,  far  different  from  the  wretched  sledge 
on  which  he  hurried  back  with  Caulaincourt 
on  the  following  year  to  his  own  dominions. 

He  told  them  here  that  he  was  going  to 
seal  the  peace  of  Europe  on  the  Russian  ter¬ 
ritory  ;  and  his  words  w^'ere  really  verified, 
but  not  in  the^sense  that  he  had  contem¬ 
plated. 

There  is  an  old  waiter  at  this  inn  who  re¬ 
ligiously  preserves  a  book,  which  he  main¬ 
tains  that  Bonaparte  threw  to  him  from  his 
carriage,  as  he  passed  the  gate  of  the  town 
on  the  morning  of  his  departure.  It  is  a 
,  common  F rench  novel,  printed  in  that  year ; 
and  probably  was  one  of  the  new  publica. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


35 


tions  of  the  day,  which  were  constantly  for¬ 
warded  from  Paris  for  his  amnsement.  On 
reading  the  first  few  lines  he  saw  that  it  was 
trash ;  and,  with  his  usual  impatience,  tossed 
it  out^f  the  window:  and  thus  it  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  waiter,  if  the  whole  was  not  his 
own  invention.  '  > . 

As  there  are  certain  penances  to  be  per¬ 
formed  by  every  traveller,  I  mounted  to  the 
top  of  a  tower  in  the  castle,  which  is  three 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  commanding  an 
extensive  view  of  all  the  surrounding  coun¬ 
try;  but,  as  hill  and  dale  were  covered  with 
a  thick  sheet  of  snow,  one  object  was  hardly 
discernible  from  another.  In  summer  it 
must  be  a  magnificent  prospect. 

Memel,  25th  November. 

As  the  above  was  hardly  worth  the  post¬ 
age,  though  it  may  sound  like  an  Irishism,  I 
have  brought  it  with  me  one  hundred  Eng¬ 
lish  miles  farther,  that  I  may  send  it  you 
from  hence;  that  is,  one  letter  instead  of  two. 
The  road  from  Konigsberg  was  execrable, 
covered  with  snow,  and  winding  through  in¬ 
terminable  forests  of  pine,  which  furnish  a 
considerable  object  of  exportation  from  hence 
to  foreign  countries.  Six  post-horses  were 


36 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


hardly  sufficient  to  draw  the  carriage  through 
ruts,  and  out  of  holes,  which  were  almost  im¬ 
passable. 

^It  was  midnight,  and  very  dark,, when  we 
arrived  at  Rositten,  on  the  coast  of  the  Bal¬ 
tic  :  if  you  look  at  the  map,  you  wdll  see  that 
our  road  from  thence  lay  for  thirty  miles  on 
a  neck  of  sand,  bounded  on  one  side  by  the 
ocean,  on  the  other  by  a  wide  lake,  called 
the  Curische  Hof.  There  is  no  guide  for 
the  postillions  but  the  track  of  former  wheels, 
which,  in  stormy  weather,  is  soon  effaced  by 
the  overflowings  of  the  tide:  thus  we  jog  on 
in  doubt  and  uncertainty,  Scylla  on  one  side, 
and  Charybdis  on  the  other. 

I  was  fast  asleep  and  unconscious  of  the 
localities,  when  my  courier  aw'oke  me  with 
the  tidings  that  we  had  lost  the  track:  I 
looked  out  and  saw  the  wheels  in  the  water, 
and  the  postillion  recovering  from  a  doze ; 
while  the  carriage-lamps  just  gave  sufficient 
light  to  show  our  danger,  without  affording 
any  clew  to  avoid  it.  One  of  the  postillions 
took  a  lamp,  and,  after  riding  over  the  sands 
for  half-an-hour,  at  last  hailed  us  with  the 
signal  that  he  had  discovered  the  road,  which 
we  had  lost  by  his  own  carelessness. 

When  we  arrived  here,  I  was  informed 


CITY  OF  THE  CZA.R. 


37 


that  a  similar  accident  had  occurred  last 
year,  but  attended  with  very  fatal  circum¬ 
stances.  Mr.  Muller,  brother  to  the  Danish 
consul,  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  way 
on  tljiese  very  sands,  from  whence  he  was 
unable  to  escape :  his  carriage,  four  horses, 
and  the  postillion  were  ingulfed  in  a  quick¬ 
sand,  and  never  seen  again;  he  himself  is 
supposed  to  have  leaped  out  of  the  carriage 
when  overtaken  by  the  waves,  where  he 
found  an  instant  death,  as  his  body  was  some 
time  afterwards  discovered  on  the  coast  of 
Polangen,  in  the  Russian  territory,  very  far 
from  the  spot  where  the  accident  occurred. 

You  may  thus  see  that  a  journey  to  the 
Hyperboreal  capital  is  not  quite  so  easy  an 
affair  as  from  London  to  Paris,  independent 
of  the  distance  and  the  climate.  There  is  a 
good  inn  here,  kept  by  an  Englishman,  at 
the  sign  of  the  Sun,  to  which  we  may  bid 
adieu  in  good  earnest,  as  I  suppose  we  shall 
see  little  of  the  original  for  some  months  to 
come. 

We  are  drawing  very  near  to  the  frontiers 
of  Russia:  in  a  few  hours  even,  my  curiosity 
will  be  gratified  with  the  sight  of  a  country 
which  has  of  late  acquired  a  great  influence 
in  European  politics,  of  which  we  have  all 

VOL.  I. — 4 


38 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


heard  much,  but  are  still  very  imperfectly 
acquainted  with  it.  I  will  write  to  you 
again,  either  before  or  when  I  get  to  the  end 
of  my  journey;  that  is,  in  a  very  few  days. 

Yours  ever. 


CJTY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


m 


LETTER  IV. 


Polangen. — Military  Inspectors. — Rigid  Scrutiny. — Boor’s  Wed¬ 
ding. — Mittau. — French  Innkeeper. — The  Bourbons. — Riga. — - 
Narva. — Dreary  Scene. — Suburbs  of  Petersburg. — Russian  Dex¬ 
terity. 

Mittau,  28th  November,  1829. 

My  dear - , 

On  the  26th  I  entered  the  Russian  ter¬ 
ritory  at  Polangen,  through  a  triple  line  of 
barriers  garnished  with  sentinels,  at  which 
you  are  required  successively  to  produce 
your  passport,  though  not  ten  furlongs  dis¬ 
tant  from  each  other. 

The  baggage  of  every  individual  is  searched 
here  with  great  severity;  books  are  particu¬ 
larly  scrutinized,  and  if  they  relate  to  political 
subjects,  generally  confiscated,  or,  wLat  is 
the  same  thing,  detained  for  farther  inspec¬ 
tion. 

Strangers,  generally,  seem  objects  of  sus- 


40 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


picion;  books  even  still  more,  and  whyl 
Russia  is  a  great  and  powerful  nation,  but 
she  cannot  pretend  to  place  herself  at  the 
head  of  modern  civilization;  why,  then,  ap¬ 
pear  to  shun  a  contact  with  her  neighbours? 
why  give  to  every  traveller  on  his  arrival  the 
impression,  (perhaps  unfounded,)  that  she 
daily  dreads  intellectual  improvement,  or  the 
influx  of  those  opinions  which,  if  her  state  is 
really  sound,  may  be  met  with  defiance  or 
contempt?  I  am  merely  starting  a  question, 
without  any  right  to  give  an  opinion  so  early 
and  on  such  trivial  grounds :  but  one  or  two 
traits  of  inquisitorial  authority  in  the  military 
inspectors  at  Polangen  seemed  to  indicate  a 
greater  vigilance  as  to  political  feelings  and 
objects  than  I  have  been  used  to  find  in  the 
custom  house  departments  of  any  other  state 
in  Europe.  After  all,  it  may  be  a  false  im- 
ju'ession  on  my  part,  more  owing  to  the  zeal 
of  the  agents,  than  the  injunctions  of  the  au¬ 
thorities. 

The  roads  from  hence  are  kept  in  very 
good  order ;  and  posts  are  erected  at  every 
werst,  to  mark  the  distance  from  one  station 
to  another.  New  and  comfortable  houses  for 
the  post-masters  were  built,  by  order  of  the 
late  Emperor,  along  the  whole  road  to  Peters¬ 
burg  ;  where,  if  you  do  not  meet  with  luxuries. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


41 


you  always  find  a  warm  room,  and  tolerable 
Russian  fare. 

At  a  place  called  Balsau,  I  came  into  the 
midst  of  a  boor’s  wedding,  which  was  cele¬ 
brated  with  boisterous  mirth  and  rejoicings : 
the  bride  was  distinguished  by  a  veil  of  white 
linen,  and  presented  me  with  a  pair  of  worsted 
gloves;  I  gave  her  a  silver  rouble  in  return, 
when,  to  my  great  surprise,  she  fell  upon  her 
knees  and  kissed  my  hand.  The  surround¬ 
ing  group  of  peasants  had  nothing  intelligent 
or  picturesque  in  their  appearance;  they  were 
uncouth  in  their  manners  and  clumsily 
shaped:  the  men  w’^ore  long  beards,  generally 
of  a  reddish  hue,  and  on  their  heads  a  cap  of 
black  lambskin;  they  seemed  to  be  simple 
and  inoffensive,  but  barbarous  and  igno 
rant. 

The  weather  became  milder  as  we  ad¬ 
vanced,  though  the  thaw  was  not  of  long  du¬ 
ration.  The  four  post-horses  were  harnessed 
to  the  carriage  abreast :  they  went  at  a  hand- 
gallop  all  the  way,  and  we  got  over  eight 
or  nine  wersts  every  hour,  which  in  due  time 
brought  us,  without  any  accident  or  difii-^ 
culty,  to  Mittau. 

To  find  a  good  French  cook  in  these  re¬ 
gions  was  very  unexpected ;  but  the  inn  here 

4^ 


42 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


is  kept  by  a  Frenchman  named  Morel,  who 
was  formerly  chef  to  Louis  XVIII.,  and  re¬ 
mained  to  establish  himself  here  when  the 
royal  emigrants  quitted  their  asylum  in  this 
town. 

Morel  is  a  character ;  he  has  seen  a  great 
deal  of  the  world,  and,  like  all  his  country¬ 
men,  is  very  communicative:  but,  if  much  of 
his  time  has  been  spent  in  the  service  of  the 
Bourbons,  he  does  not  appear  to  have  quitted 
them  with  any  agreeable  feelings  or  recollec¬ 
tions.  He  related  many  anecdotes  of  their 
private  life  which  are  not  worth  repeating, 
as  a  discontented  servant  is  not  always  the 
best  authority :  he  had  refused  to  follow  them 
into  France,  and  blamed  severely  the  system 
which  they  had  adopted  since  their  return. 
What  more  particularly  excited  his  astonish¬ 
ment  was  the  bigotry  of  Charles  X.j  which, 
he  said,  was  little  in  accordance  with  his  pre¬ 
vious  morality. 

Morel  was  living  with  the  unfortunate 
Due  d’Enghien  at  the  time  of  his  arrest  at 
Strasbourg;  who,  as  he  asserted,  received 
three  successive  warnings  of  the  impending 
danger,  which  he  neglected.  The  last,  and 
most  impressive,  notice  was  given  him  by  an 
unknown  individual  in  the  forest  while  he 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


43 


was  hunting,  who  urged  him  in  the  most 
solemn  manner  then  not  to  return  home :  he 
slighted  the  advice,  disdained  all  precautions, 
and  that  very  night  his  house  was  surrounded 
by  French  troops,  who  led  him  to  his  doom. 

Mittau  is  a  neat  town;  and  the  palace, 
which  was  lent  by  the  Emperor  to  Louis 
XVIIL  ,  is  a  spacious  building;  it  was  former¬ 
ly  the  residence  of  the  Dukes  of  Courland. 

My  next  object  was  Riga,  which  is  the  se¬ 
cond  trading  city  in  Russia;  it  is  strongly 
fortified,  and  boasts  of  a  large,  active  popula¬ 
tion  :  there  is  an  air  of  affluence  in  the 
streets,  well-dressed  people  and  some  good 
equipages,  which  attest  that  Riga  flax  and 
hemp  meet  with  lucrative  markets  in  Europe. 
I  passed  through  Narva  in  the  night, — that 
town  of  timber  and  deals,  which  was  once 
taken  by  the  Swedes,  and  held  for  a  long 
period  by  them.  When  the  Muscovites  re¬ 
gained  it  in  1704,  they  sent  all  the  inha¬ 
bitants  to  Astracan,  and  peopled  the  town  de 
novo  from  their  own  hordes,  to  ensure  sub¬ 
mission  for  the  future. 

I  began  this  letter  at  Mittau,  and  have  now 
finished  my  long  journey ;  during  which,  since 
I  passed  the  Russian  frontier,  I  have  not  met 
three  carriages  on  the  road.  A  wide  waste, 


44 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


covered  with  snow,  seemingly  without  inha¬ 
bitants,  without  flocks,  and  without  signs  of 
cultivation,  is  the  uniformly  dreary  scene 
which  from  hour  to  hour  presents  itself  to 
the  view  of  the  traveller. 

The  last  stage,  from  Strelna  to  the  capital 
offers  gradually  a  more  animated  picture; 
sledges  are  in  motion,  horses  and  carriages 
are  passing  to  and  fro,  foot  passengers  be¬ 
come  numerous,  and  all  the  signs  of  approach 
to  a  populous  city  break  upon  you  by  de¬ 
grees,  till  at  last,  when  we  reached  the  su¬ 
burbs,  I  had  good  reason  to  find  them  too 
much  frequented.  Some  thieves  cut  off  a 
trunk  which  was  fastened  behind  the  car¬ 
riage,  and,  under  cover  of  the  night,  made 
away  with  it  as  adroitly  as  any  English  de¬ 
predators.  Thus  was  I  initiated  at  once  into 
the  experience  of  Russian  dexterity. 

When  Peter  the  Great  was  advised  by  one 
of  his  ministers  to  expel  the  Jews  from  his 
dominions  on  account  of  their  cunning  and 
roguery,  he  replied,  Let  them  alone,  my 
Russians  are  a  match  for  them.”  I  believe 
his  imperial  majesty  had  a  profound  know¬ 
ledge  of  his  subjects. 

This  letter  may  go  to  the  post  as  it  is,  with¬ 
out  any  farther  remarks :  when  I  am  reco- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


45 


vered  from  my  fatigues,  and  have  seen  any 
thing  here  which  may  be  worth  relating,  I 
will  not  fail  to  resume  the  correspondence ;  in 
the  mean  time,  keep  me  au  fait  of  what  our 
friends  are  about  in  the  bow-window,  or  else¬ 
where. 


Yours  ever. 


46 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


LETTER  V. 


Petersburg. — Magnificent  Buildings. — Inns. — Want  of  Accom¬ 
modation. — Emperor  Alexander. — His  philanthropic  views. — 
Accession  of  Nicholas. — Discontent  of  the  Army. — Severity  of 
the  Climate. — A  fruitful  Source  of  Conversation. — Curious  As- 
pect  of  the  Streets. 


Petersburg,  1st  December,  1829, 

My  dear - , 

Here  then  am  I  arrived  in  this  city  of 
palaces  planted  in  the  middle  of  a  desert !  A 
Frenchman  once  exclaimed  on  the  same  oc¬ 
casion,  “  Ville  superbe,  que  fais-tu  la?” — and 
a  stranger  is  almost  tempted  to  believe  that 
the  wand  of  a  magician  could  alone  have  con¬ 
jured  up  such  a  magnificent  pile  of  buildings 
in  one  of  the  most  desolate  and  uninhabitable 
corners  of  the  globe. 

Art  has  been  doomed  to  struggle  here 
against  all  the  obstacles  which  nature  could 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


47 


oppose  to  her  success.  This  beautiful  capi¬ 
tal  of  the  Russian  empire  is  seated  in  a  wil¬ 
derness,  founded  on  a  marsh,  and  exposed  to 
a  climate  which,  during  half  the  year,  ren¬ 
ders  ^existence  itself  almost  intolerable.  Ge¬ 
ographically  placed  at  a  point  equally  remote 
from  the  centre  of  civilization  in  Europe,  and 
from  that  of  barbarism  in  Asia,  her  maritime 
communications  with  the  former  have  intro¬ 
duced  all  the  arts  and  refinements  of  modern 
life,  to  a  greater  degree  than  her  inland  con¬ 
tact  with  the  latter  may  have  fostered  the 
continuance  of  obsolete  customs  and  ignorant 
prejudices.  Petersburg  may  be  ranked  as  a 
European  capital,  her  sister  Moscow  is  de¬ 
cidedly  Asiatic. 

One  of  the  first  inconveniences  to  w^hich 
a  stranger  is  exposed  on  his  arrival  here,  is 
the  difficulty,  not  to  say  the  impossibility,  of 
finding  any  suitable  accommodation  at  a  pub¬ 
lic  inn  or  hotel.  Their  number  is  very  li¬ 
mited;  three  only  are  worthy  of  any  notice, — 
Demuth’s  Hotel  de  Paris,  and  Hotel  de  Lon- 
dres;  but  they  are  deficient  in  every  comfort, 
all  equally  dirty,  ill-furnished,  and  ill-at¬ 
tended. 

It  can  only  be  imputed  to  the  scanty  num¬ 
ber  of  foreigners  who  visit  this  part  of  the 
world,  that  so  little  anxiety  is  shown  to  pro- 


48 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


vide  them  during  their  stay  with  those  com¬ 
mon  agremens  of  life  which  are  now  so  ge¬ 
nerally  diffused  through  every  country  in 
Europe  :  there  is  no  encouragement  for  spe-^ 
culation  where  there  is  so  little  demand,  and 
some  innkeepers  have  already  found  to.  their 
cost  that  the  custom  of  the  natives  is  not  al¬ 
ways  desirable. 

A  Frenchman,  some  time  ago,  hired  a  large 
hotel,  and  fitted  it  up  with  every  accommo¬ 
dation  for  travellers  who  seldom  made  their 
appearance  :  other  guests  nearer  home  esta¬ 
blished  themselves  in  his  apartments,  con¬ 
tracted  debts  which  were  easily  evaded,  and 
the  man  was  ruined.  No  one  has  since  been 
found  willing  to  renew  the  enterprise  on  the 
same  scale;  and  we,  who  are  temporary  so¬ 
journers  in  the  land,  are  subject  to  many  pri¬ 
vations  and  annoyances  which  we  have  hith¬ 
erto  been  little  used  to  encounter. 

The  memory  of  the  late  Emperor  Alexan¬ 
der  is  still  deeply  cherished  by  all  who  were 
able  and  willing  to  appreciate  the  excellent 
(j^ualities  which  adorned  his  character.  It  is 
not  too  much  to  say,  that  he  was  a  beneficent 
angel  sent  before  his  time. 

Called  as  he  was  by  circumstances  which 
he  never  sought,  but  inevitable  as  the  decree 
of  Fate,  to  exercise  a  high  and  leading  con- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


49 


trol  in  the  affairs  of  Europe,  it  will  be  the 
task  of  history  to  show  the  firmness,  the  mo¬ 
deration,  and  the  abstinence  from  all  selfish 
objects,  which  he  evinced  when  placed  in 
that  mposing  attitude  which  changed  the 
destinies  of  the  world. 

During  his  protracted  stay  in  foreign  coun¬ 
tries,  where  the  march  of  civilization  and  in¬ 
tellectual  improvement  had  conferred  such 
important  benefits  on  the  human  species,  his 
enlightened  mind  not  only  comprehended  the 
value  of  their  solitary  laws  and  institutions, 
but  silently  formed  the  beneficent  plan  of 
gradually  imparting  the  same  advantages  to 
the  backward  generations  which  owned  his 
sway. 

Having  terminated  his  mission  abroad  by 
cementing  a  general  peace,  which  has  never 
since  been  disturbed,  he  returned  home  to 
his  own  dominions,  completely  absorbed  in 
philanthropic  views  for  the  moral  improve¬ 
ment  of  his  subjects.  In  the  fulness  of  his 
heart,  he  flattered  himself  with  the  hope  of 
realizing  by  his  own  exertions,  even  to  the 
steppes  of  Tartary,  those  smiling  pictures  of 
prosperity  and  content  which  had  cheered 
his  eye  in  the  most  civilized  and  enlightened 
countries  of  Europe.  That  he  should  have 
failed  in  accomplishing  that  which  must  be 

VOL.  I. — 5 


50 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


the  work  of  ages,  is  not  surprising;  but  that 
a  sovereign,  actuated  hj  such  disinterested 
feelings,  so  earnestly  intent  on  promoting  the 
public  welfare,  should  not  only  have  met 
with  headstrong  opposition  to  his  views,  but 
have  become  himself  the  object  of  rancour 
and  personal  animosity,  is  a  stain  which  can 
never  be  effaced  from  the  Russian  name. 
Such,  however,  was  the  fate  of  Alexander. 
His  anxious  efforts  to  reform  abuses  rooted 
in  the  soil,  and  ameliorate  the  degraded  po¬ 
sition  of  a  numerous  population,  were  met 
wdth  sullen  insensibility  on  the  one  side,  and 
with  fierce  opposition  on  the  other.  The 
lower  orders  were  impervious  to  the  bless¬ 
ings  he  would  have  conferred  upon  them, 
and  the  higher  orders  were  too  seriously  in¬ 
terested  in  the  continuation  of  existing  abuses 
not  to  meet  all  his  attempts  at  reform  with 
the  most  virulent  hostility.  He  saw  with 
pain  and  vexation  of  spirit  all  his  schemes  of 
public  utility  counteracted,  all  his  efforts  to 
promote  the  happiness  of  his  people  foiled, 
and  himself,  instead  of  being  hailed  the  be¬ 
nefactor  of  his  age,  as  he  deserved,  held  up 
as  the  object  of  indiscriminate  hatred  to  a 
junta  of  discontented  spirits,  who  were  ripe 
for  any  acts  of  violence  in  order  to  defeat  his 
measures.  Baffled  and  sick  at  heart,  his 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


51 


noble  nature  sunk  at  last  under  repeated  dis* 
appointment.  For  more  than  a  twelvemonth 
before  his  death,  he  kept  aloof  from  his  ca¬ 
pital,  or,  when  there,  lived  in  complete  re- 
tirempit;  rumours  oh  plots  and  conspiracies 
were  vaguely  whispered  in  his  ear,  which 
only  affected  him  as  galling  proofs  of  that 
perverse  spirit  which  could  so  ill  appreciate 
the  wisdom  and  purity  of  his  own  intentions. 
Those  frequent  journeys  to  the  Crimea  were 
mere  efforts  to  divert  his  thoughts,  and  pre¬ 
vent  the  mind,  by  change  of  scene,  from  pon¬ 
dering  on  the  gloomy  visions  which  hourly 
assailed  him.  Disgusted  with  mankind,  he 
became  disgusted  with  life  itself.  In  his  last 
tour  to  the  provinces,  when  he  arrived  at 
Tagonrod,  he  was  seized  with  an  attack  of 
bilious  fever,  which  from  the  first  assumed 
an  alarming  character;  while  his  constitu¬ 
tion,  weakened  by  mental  sufferings,  was 
little  able  to  resist  the  progress  of  a  disease 
which  soon  terminated  his  valuable  exist¬ 
ence.  F  ar  from  repining  at  his  premature 
fate,  he  hailed  the  approach  of  death  with 
inward  satisfaction;  no  entreaties  could  in¬ 
duce  him  to  take  any  internal  medicine; 
local  applications  were  used  by  his  physi¬ 
cians,  but  with  little  effect :  he  himself  re- 


52 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


fused  to  contribute  to  his  cure ;  and  quitted, 
without  one  sigh  of  regret,  a  scene  of  worldly 
grandeur  and  pre-eminence  which  had  lost 
all  value  in  his  estimation. 

Such  was  the  cruel  end  of  Alexander,  a 
few  years  after  we  had  seen  him  in  England, 
crowned  with  victory,  and  loaded  with  eve. 
ry  gift  which  Fortune  could  lavish  on  her 
most  favoured  child. 

Those  extensive  conspiracies,  the  appre¬ 
hension  of  which  destroyed  the  happiness, 
and  shortened  the  days  of  his  brother,  broke 
forth  into  acts  of  open  mutiny  and  sedition 
on  the  accession  of  Nicholas  to  the  throne. 
His  firmness  of  character  and  personal  bra¬ 
very  awed  them  into  silence ;  but  there  was 
a  fearful  moment  at  that  period,  when  the 
tranquillity  of  the  whole  empire  was  most 
seriously  endangered. 

I  shall,  by  degrees,  learn  more  details  on 
this  interesting  subject;  but  every  thing 
proves  that  the  plans  of  the  conspirators  were 
deeply  laid,  and  the  fidelity  of  the  army  com¬ 
promised  to  an  alarming  extent.  From  that 
hour  was  decided  the  war  with  Turkey, 
which  has  served  to  occupy  and  sooth  the 
public  mind  with  bulletins  of  success,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  give  active  employment  to 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


53 


those  mutinous  regiments  whose  leisure  in 
time  of  peace  had  been  directed  to  such  si¬ 
nister  purposes. 

Even  now  that  a  campaign  of  two  years 
has  j^inned  the  ranks  of  the  army,  and 
at  last  realized  by  unexpected  success  the 
dreams  of  conquest  so  long  entertained  by 
the  Empress  Catherine,  it  is  evident  that  a 
feeling  of  discontent  prevails  here,  on  account 
of  the  moderate  advantage  which  has  been 
derived  from  the  late  victories. 

The  nation,  in  fact,  is  founded  on  military 
principles ;  it  wants  conquest,  plunder,  and 
excitement  abroad,  while  the  government 
wishes  for  peace,  tranquillity,  and  reforma¬ 
tion  at  home. 

A  climate  like  this,  which  not  only  affects 
the  comfort,  but  also  frequently  the  lives  of 
individuals,  may  well  be  considered  an  ob¬ 
ject  of  daily  interest:  the  variations  of  the 
thermometer  are  watched  with  constant  anx¬ 
iety,  and  prove  a  general  topic  of  conversa¬ 
tion  in  all  circles.  Unlike  our  common¬ 
place  remarks  on  the  weather,  of  rain  or  sun¬ 
shine,  the  degrees  of  frost  here  are  calculated 
with  the  greatest  precision ;  Reaumur  is  cited 
on  one  side,  F ahrenheit  on  the  other :  the 
rise  or  fall  of  a  hair’s  breadth  in  the  quick- 
5* 


54 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


silver  will  create  a  discussion  for  half  an  hour; 
and  it  seems  almost  a  charitable  dispensation 
of  Providence,  that,  in  a  country  where  the 
inexhaustible  subject  of  politics  is  not  only 
avoided  hut  forbidden,  another  topic  of  more 
immediate  interest  should  be  found,  equally 
abundant  and  subject  to  still  greater  varia¬ 
tions. 

Public  thermometers  are  placed  in  the 
streets,  to  give  that  notice  of  approaching 
danger  which  the  human  frame  may  not  im¬ 
mediately  perceive;  as  the  change  is  some¬ 
times  so  rapid,  that  you  are  caught  by  the 
frost  before  you  can  be  aware  of  it. 

When  the  frost  is  at  or  near  thirty  de¬ 
grees,  all  the  public  places  of  amusement  are 
closed.  During  a  more  moderate  cold,  large 
bonfires  are  lighted  near  the  principal  theatre 
for  the  preservation  of  coachmen  and  ser¬ 
vants  ;  but  a  rigorous  winter  seldom  occurs 
without  instances  of  these  poor  people  being 
frozen  to  death  in  the  streets.  N otwithstand- 
ing  the  severity  of  the  climate,  there  is  no 
capital  in  Europe  where  horses  and  servants 
are  kept  so  long  waiting  for  their  masters  in 
the  open  air. 

The  point  in  which  a  foreigner  is  most 
liable  to  attack,  if  he  ventures  to  walk  abroad, 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


55 


is  the  nose,  which  becomes  of  a  livid  white¬ 
ness,  without  pain :  if  care  is  taken  to  rub  the 
part  affected  immediately  with  snow,  or  even 
a  piece  of  flannel,  which  renews  the  circula¬ 
tion,  fa  cure  is  easily  effected.  After  all, 
however,  with  due  precaution,  we  suffer 
perhaps  less  from  cold  in  this  country  than 
in  milder  climates.  The  houses  are  thorough¬ 
ly  warmed  by  stoves;  all  are  fitted  up  with 
double  casements;  and  the  use  of  furs  is  so 
general  when  you  go  out,  that  the  weather 
has  little  or  no  effect  on  the  person. 

The  streets  of  Petersburg  present  a  cu¬ 
rious  aspect,  particularly  the  Perspective, 
which,  like  our  Regent  Street,  is  the  princi¬ 
pal  thoroughfare.  Here  are  to  be  seen  car¬ 
riages  (all  with  four  horses,)  drotchkas, 
sledges,  carts,  wagons,  mingled  together,  on 
a  slippery  surface  of  beaten  snow,  without 
interfering  with  each  other,  though  many  of 
them  are  driven  with  great  rapidity :  coach 
men  with  beards  in  the  Tartar  dress,  foot¬ 
men  in  laced  liveries,  chasseurs  in  rich  uni¬ 
forms,  and  peasants  in  sheep-skins,  all  blended 
in  a  moving  mass,  form  a  singular  contrast 
'  to  each  other,  and  diversify  the  scene.  Pro¬ 
ceed  a  little  farther,  and  you  find  yourself  in 
the  midst  of  markets  filled  with  frozen  pro- 


56 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


visions,  fish,  and  vegetables,  all  as  hard  as  a 
stone,  and  chopped  with  a  hatchet.  Here 
the  march  of  corruption  is  stopped ;  the  sheep 
which  was  killed  a  month  ago  will  be  fresh 
a  month  hence ;  and  the  fish,  which  has  been 
brought  from  the  Volga  might  travel  another 
thousand  worsts  without  losing  its  delicate 
fiavour. 

In  every  direction  stately  buildings  and 
magnificient  palaces  meet  the  eye,  till  you 
approach  the  banks  of  the  Neva,  which  pre¬ 
sents  one  solid  mass  of  ice,  traversed  in  all 
parts  by  sledges,  and  planted  with  shrub¬ 
beries  of  pine-trees,  which  form  a  very  novel 
and  agreeable  picture. 

Last  night,  at  the  French  theatre,  one  of 
the  actors  introduced  into  his  part  an  allu¬ 
sion  to  this  scene,  in  the  shape  of  a  calem- 
bourg,  which  was  honoured  with  an  imperial 
smile :  Pourquoi  est-ce  qu’on  ne  pourroit 

jamais  mourir  de  faim  a  Petersbourg? — 
Parce  qu’on  est  sur  de  trouver  des  petits 
pains  (pins)  sur  le  Neva.”  •  After  this,  I 
think  you  may  probably  wish  me  to  finish 
my  letter. 


Ever  yours. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


57 


r 


LETTER  VI. 


Churches  in  Petersburg. — Tomb  of  Kutusoff. — Choristers. — 
Splendid  Tombs  of  the  Nobility. — Paintings. — Residence  of 
the  Archimandrite. — Splendour  of  the  Tauride  Palace. — Mining 
College. — Academy  of  Arts. — General  Education. — The  Em¬ 
press  Catherine  and  her  Court. 

Petersburg,  6th  December,  1829. 

My  DEAR  - , 

I  HAVE  been  occupied  yesterday  in  visit¬ 
ing  the  two  principal  churches  in  Petersburg, 
the  Gasan  church  and  that  of  St.  Alexander 
Newsky:  both  are  built  of  brick,  covered 
with  white  stucco,  as  indeed  are  all  the  mag¬ 
nificent  structures  here,  except  the  marble 
palace,  and  a  few  others.  The  exterior  of 
the  former  is  singularly  graceful ;  the  design 
is  Grecian,  and  a  range  of  arcades  on  each 
side,  in  semicircular  form,  embrace  a  wide 


58 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


area  in  front,  which  gives  full  scope  to  ad¬ 
mire  the  symmetry  of  the  architecture.  The 
interior  is  adorned  with  superb  and  polished 
columns  of  granite ;  there  is  a  profusion  of 
gilding  and  pictures  on  the  walls ;  reliques, 
which  are  preserved  with  great  care,  and 
valuable  presents,  which  attest  the  liberality 
of  the  givers. 

Here  is  the  tomb  of  Field-marshal  Kutu- 
soff,  on  which  a  lamp  is  kept  burning  night 
and  day.  Around  are  hung  the  various  tat^ 
tered  colours  taken  in  the  wars  of  1812  and 
1813,  among  which  are  conspicuous  several 
of  Napoleon’s  eagles;  the  keys,  also,  of  va¬ 
rious  fortresses  captured  by  the  Russian 
arms ;  but  some,  no  longer  in  their  posses¬ 
sion,  are  still  exhibited  with  the  same  osten¬ 
tation. 

Organs  are  not  permitted  by  the  Greek 
rites;  the  music  performed  in  the  Russian 
churches  is  only  vocal,  but  great  care  is 
taken  in  the  selection  and  instruction  of  the 
singers.  They  are  concealed  in  great  num¬ 
bers  behind  a  screen,  which,  I  think,  in  a 
church  considerably  heightens  the  effect; 
and  when  this  mysterious  harmony  bursts 
forth  into  the  magnificent  peals  of  the  grand 
chorus,  it  seems  to  electrify  the  hearers,  and 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


59 


the  effect  is  both  grand  and  beantiful.  As 
you  pass  through  the  churchyard  of  St. 
Alexander  Newsky,  the  eye  is  struck  with 
the  inconceivable  number  of  splendid  tombs 
whichr  are  crowded  into  this  grand  burial- 
place  of  the  Russian  nobility,  whose  pride 
and  wealth  are  displayed  in  these  records  of 
the  dead.  Some  are  of  marble  finely  sculp¬ 
tured,  others  of  bronze  curiously  wrought, 
all  richly  ornamented  with  various  devices, 
and  without  exception  surmounted  with  the 
gilt  cross  as  the  emblem  of  their  faith. 

The  vault  of  the  Scherematoff  family  is  an 
object  of  the  greatest  curiosity.  It  is  as  large 
as  a  ball-room,  and  warmed  by  stoves  con¬ 
stantly  heated ;  no  damp  can  approach  these 
mouldering  remains,  enshrined  in  tombs  of 
or  molu,  beautifully  chased;  and  though  some 
are  more  than  a  hundred  years  old,  though 
their  tenants  have  already  crumbled  into 
dust,  these  costly  monuments  still  remain 
fresh  and  unimpaired  as  they  came  from  the 
hands  of  the  workman.  In  the  most  conspi¬ 
cuous  part  of  this  church  is  the  tomb  of 
Alexander  Newsky,  the  patron  saint;  it  is 
composed  entirely  of  massive  silver,  finely 
wrought,  and  of  immense  value :  near  it  is 
a  prie~Dieu,  of  the  same  metal,  which  was 


60 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


presented  some  few  years  back  by  the  Em¬ 
peror  Alexander,  as  a  votive  offering  to  this 
shrine.  A  new  decoration  has  lately  been 
affixed  to  this  monument  in  the  keys  of 
Adrianople,  which  were  sent  to  Petersburg 
this  summer  by  General  Diebitsh,  in  com¬ 
memoration  of  his  conquest,  and  are  reli¬ 
giously  preserved  here.  There  are  some 
fine  pictures  by  Reubens  and  Raphael  near 
the  altar,  given  by  the  Empress  Catherine, 
who  has  also  enriched  the  communion-table 
with  a  covering  worked  in  velvet  and  gold 
by  her  own  hand.  Innumerable  portraits  of 
saints  adorn  the  aisles,  before  which  various 
votaries  of  both  sexes  are  seen  constantly 
bowing  and  crossing  themselves  with  great 
veneration.  Every  thing  in  this  splendid 
sanctuary  attests  the  former  wealth  and  mag¬ 
nificence  of  the  old  Russian  aristocracy. 
The  quadrangle  attached  to  this  church, 
which  was  originally  a  convent,  is  of  consi¬ 
derable  extent,  and  called  the  Cloister. 

Here  resides  the  great  Archimandrite  of 
Russia,  surrounded  by  an  establishment  of 
above  three  hundred  priests,  who  attend  to 
the  religious  wants  of  the  capital ;  they  are 
clothed  in  black  velvet  robes  and  caps,  wear 
long  beards,  and  have  rather  a  magical  ap- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


61 


pearance.  Their  influence  is  considerable 
in  the  country,  as  the.  Russians  are  generally 
prone  to  superstition. 

I  have  also  seen  the  palace  of  La  Tauride, 
whichr almost  realizes  a  description  in  the 
Arabian  Nights.  It  was  built  by  Prince 
Potemkin,  in  commemoration  of  the  cop- 
quest  of  that  province ;  and;  as  it  is  said,  so 
privately,  that  the  "whole  was  completed 
without  the  knowledge  of  Catherine,  to  whom 
it  was  first  announced  by  an  invitation  to  a 
magnificent  fete  on  the  spot  in  her  honour. 
There  was  she  received  by  her  princely  sub¬ 
ject  amidst  a  burst  of  splendour  and  munifi¬ 
cence,  which  was  only  to  be  eclipsed  by  the 
grandeur  of  the"  termination,  when  the  whole 
possession  was  laid  as  a  costly  offering  at  the 
feet  of  his  imperial  mistress. 

This  extraordinary  scene  was  acted  in  a 
ball-room  of  such  colossal  dimensions,  and  of 
such  peculiar  design,  that  I  may  attempt  to 
give  you  a  faint  description;  more  especially 
as  all  the  decorations  have  been  carefully 
preserved,  and  remain  still  in  the  same  state 
as  when  this  event  took  place.  In  shape  and 
height  it  may  be  likened  to  a  vast  cathedral, 
the  body  of  which,  appropriated  to  dancing, 
is  separated  froni  the  two  aisles  or  wings,  on 

VOL.  L — 6 


62 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


each  side,  by  a  range  of  marble  columns  and 
statues  so  vast  and  gigantic,  that  the  eye 
loses  all  idea  of  human  proportions,  and  the 
chairs  become  so  diminutive  that  they  only 
seem  fitted  for  a  race  of  pigmies. 

Here  is  no  gilding  or  flimsy  ornament, 
;s^hich  would  be  lost  in  the  grandeur  of  the 
design ;  all  is  pure  white.  One  of  the  im¬ 
mense  wings  is  fitted  up  as  a  museum ;  it 
contains  an  infinite  collection  of  foreign 
marbles  and  busts,  principally  antiques, 
which  were  purchased  by  Potemkin  at  a 
high  price,  and  must,  in  the  present  day,  be 
still  more  valuable. 

The  other  wing,  though  included  under 
the  same  roof,  surrounded  with  the  same 
walls,  and  fitted  up  with  windows  corre¬ 
sponding  to  the  rest,  is  a  real  perfect  garden. 
Here  ar^  walks  of  gravel,  and  grass-plats  in 
constant  verdure,  shrubberies  of  myrtle  and 
evergreen,  orange-trees  in  full  bloom,  and 
every  produce  of  the  hot-house ;  while  rustic 
seats,  marble  statues,  vases,  and  fountains, 
are  scattered  about  in  profusion,  to  carry  on 
this  magic  deception. 

The  whole  temperature  is  warmed  by 
stoves  and  pipes  of  hot  air,  which  produce 
an  oriental  climate  amidst  frost  and  snow, 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


63 


where  the  rays  of  a  cheering  sun  are  seldom 
felt.  The  other  suites  of  apartments  are  nu¬ 
merous  and  well  proportioned,  but  plainly 
furnished.  This  palace  was  a  favourite 
abode'  of  the  late  Empress,  and  the  gardens 
are  still  tended  with  much  care ;  but,  since 
the  death  of  her  Majesty ,“  it  'has  generally 
been  appropriated  to  the  reception  of  distin¬ 
guished  foreigners,  for  whom  the  court  has 
thought  fit  to  provide  ^  a  residence  during 
their  stay  in  Petersburg.  ^  - 

The  last  occupier  was  the  Prince  of  Per¬ 
sia,  Avho  came  here  in  the  spring  on  a  peni¬ 
tential  embassy  at  the  conclusion  of  the  war; 
and  the  apartments  inhabited  by  his  suite 
are  now  undergoing  a  process  of  painting 
and  purification,  which  their  Persian  habits 
had  rendered  necessary.  ' 

The  Russian  page  expressed  much  disgust 
and  irritation  at  the  disorders  which  they 
had  occasioned;  though  it  only  reminded 
me  of  some  of  his  own  countrymen,  who 
lodged  in  the  same  hotel  with  myself  at 
Paris,  in  the  year  1814. 

Sufficient  occupation  for  one  morning,  and 
really  of  a  very  agreeable  nature,  will  be 
found  in  a  visit  to  the  Mining  College  and 


64 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


the  Academy  of  Arts,  which  are  not  far  dis¬ 
tant  from  each  other. 

When  the  extent  of  this  empire  is  consi¬ 
dered,  and  the  vast  tract  of  territory  which 
is  exposed  to  the  action  of  various  climates,, 
it  is  natural  to  conclude  that  one  great  source 
of  wealth  may  be  derived  from  the  mineral 
treasures  which  are  concealed  under  its 
wide-spreading  surface.  To  this  point  the 
Russian  government '  has  directed  its  most 
serious  attention,  and  the  mining  depart¬ 
ment  is  conducted  here  on  a  scale  of  exer¬ 
tion  and  intelligence  which  reflects  the  high¬ 
est  credit  on  the  wisdom  and  liberality  of  the 
Emperor.  ' 

The  mountains  within  Russia,,  as  well  as 
those  on  the  frontiers,  abound  with  minerals 
of  almost  every  description;  in  addition  to 
the  precious  metals,  which  become  daily 
more  productive,  amethysts,  topazes^  agates^ 
lapis  lazuli,  and  various  stones  used  in  jewel¬ 
lery  are  found  in  them :  while  the  plains  of 
Siberia  furnish  to  the  naturalist  food  for  spe¬ 
culation  in  the  bones  of  gigantic  animals  un-^ 
known  in  the  present  day,  mammoths’  teeth, 
and  fossils  innumerable. 

The  institution  of  this  college  comprises 
three  hundred  pupils,  maintained  within  the 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


65 


walls  at  the  expense  of  the  crown;  their 
education  is  of  course  principally  directed  to 
the  acquirement  of  knowledge  in  this  depart¬ 
ment,  and  the  most  abl,e  professors  are  se- 
lectechdo  superintend  their  progress  in'  every 
branch  of  this  interesting  study.  ^ . 

The  reo^ulations  of  the  establishment  are 
enforced  with  military  exactness;  the  young 
men  'are  placed  under  the  command  of  offi¬ 
cers  in  the  army ;  they  are  all  clothed  in  uni¬ 
form,  subject  to  regular  discipline ;  and  the 
different  dormitories,  in  which  they  sleep  by 
companies,  are  remarkable  for  peculiar  neat¬ 
ness  and  cleanliness.  There  are  various  gal¬ 
leries  in  successive  order  to  be  seen,  which 
afford  as  much  instruction  as  amusement  to 
the  visiter;  that  of  the  models,  which  are 
executed  with'  great  ingenuity,  is  by  far  the 
most  interesting. 

The  whole  process  of  mining  is  here,  re¬ 
presented  in  miniature :  there  are  models  of 
every  machine  which  is  used  in  excavating 
the  earth,  and  bringing  its  treasures  to  light; 
models  of  the  most  productive  mines. in  Si¬ 
beria,  delineating  with  great  accuracy  the 
different  strata,  lodes,  and  veins  of  chemical 
or  metallic  substances,  by  which  they  are  pe¬ 
culiarly  distinguished;  and  models  of  the 
6^' 


66  ' 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


houses  and  working  establishments  on  the 
surface,  of  men  and  horses  at  their  daily  la^ 
hour,  of  engines  in  motion,  &c.;  forming  al¬ 
together  a  panorama  of  scientific  industry 
which  no  books  could  explain. 

The  other  galleries  contain  innumerable 
samples  of  metallic  produce,  arranged  with 
symmetry -and  classed  under  their  proper 
heads;  besides  the  gold,  silver,  and  platina, 
there  are  the  largest  specimens  of  malachite, 
precious  stones,  and  curious  petrifactions. 
The  exhibition  closes  with  a  cabinet  of 
medals,  representing  all  the  victories  and 
memorable  events  which  have  occurred  in 
the  empire  from  its  earliest  foundation. 

The  Academy  of  Arts  is  a  palace  in  point 
of  structure,  but  contains  very  few  objects  of 
interest  or  importance:  it  is  adorned  with 
models  in  plaster  of  all  the  fine  Italian  statues, 
which  have  little  intrinsic  value,  and  there 
are  a  few  good  paintings ;  the  most  remarka¬ 
ble  of  which  are  a  set  of  hunting  pieces,  the 
joint  effort  of  Reubens  and  Snuyders,  the 
figures  being  executed  by  the  former,^  and 
the  animals  by  the  latter. 

The  encouragement  of  native  talent  in 
painting  is  the  great  object  of  this  institution ; 
the  large  apartments  were  filled  with  stu- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


67 


dents,  occupied  in  this  pursuit,  at  their  dif¬ 
ferent  easels :  report  speaks  favourably  of  their 
progress,  and  some  had  received  the  honorary 
prize  of  a  medal  from  the  directors.  Those 
who  give  proofs  of  real  genius  and  talent, 
when  they  have  passed  through  the  different 
classes,  are  sent  to  finish  their  studies  in  Italy, 
where  a  considerable  colony  is  already  formed 
for  that  purpose. 

The  Russian  government,  sensible  of  the 
disadvantages  under  which  the  country  had 
laboured  for  so  many  years,  from  the  wide- 
spreading  ignorance  which  had  pervaded  all 
classes  of  its  subjects,  has  turned  its  thoughts 
seriously  of  late  to  cultivate  the  arts  of  peace, 
and  take  in  handbhe  task  of  general  educa¬ 
tion.  The  two  above  institutions  are  only 
trifling  proofs  of  that  spirit,  when  compared 
with  the^ other  vast  projects  of  civilization  and 
improvement  of  the  human  mind  founded  by 
the  beneficent  Alexander,  and  continued  by 
his  enlightened  brother;  projects  which  at 
first  met  with  great  difficulties  in  the  un¬ 
grateful  soil,  and  were  always  accompanied 
with  a  secret  dread  that  the  introduction  of 
luminous  ideas  might  shake  the  foundations 
of  the  throne  itself.  This  must  always  be 
the  feeling  of  a  despotic  monarchy. 


68 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


A  Frenchman  with  more  wit  4han  truth 
remarked  of  this  country,  qu'elle  etoit  pour- 
rie  avant  que  d'Hre  mure  but  he  only 
looked  at  Petersburg,  where  the  general  cor¬ 
ruption  and  dissolute  morals  of  the  court  at 
that  period,  contrasted  with  the  uncivilized 
character  of  the  whole  surrounding  nation, 
gave  some  handle  to  the  observation.  Russia 
is  neither  pourrie^  nor  mure ;  she  is  still  in 
her  cradle,  and  may  grow  up  to  be  a  giant  if 
properly  nursed. 

Previous  to  the  reign  of  Peter  the  Great,, 
and,  I  may  say,  almost  to  that  of  Catherine 
11. ,  the  existence  of  this  country  was  hardly 
known  in  Europe,  except  as  a  fabulous  tale, 
or  barbarous  legend,  which  few  took  the 
trouble  to  investigate.  Her  superior  mind, 
her  ambition,  and  her  grandeur  soon  attracted 
the  general  attention  of  the  world ;  and  it  is 
interesting  to  observe  how  fitted  her  cha¬ 
racter  was  to  suit  the  exigencies  of  her  people 
at  that  particular  crisis.'  They  had  great 
physical  means,  but  few  moral  resources; 
they  needed  civilization  and  refinement. 

Surrounded  by  the  powerful  Boyards  who 
composed  the  court  of  her  late  husband,  Ca¬ 
therine  saw  with  regret  that  their  uncouth 
manners  and  boorish  habits  were  totally  un- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


69 


fit  to  obtain  respect  among  the  polished  na¬ 
tions  of  the  South,  with  whom  she  anxiously 
desired  to  establish  an  influence.  It  thus 
becan^  even  a  political  object  to  form  and 
‘  polish  the  Russian  aristocracy. 

Her  constant  correspondence  and  connex- 
ion  with  French  literati,  the  zeal  with  which 
Parisian  manners  and  fashions  were  incul¬ 
cated  at  St.  Petersburg,  the  hospitality  shown 
to  strangers,  and,  above  all,  the  example  of 
the  Empress  herself,  wRo  in  public  affected 
the  grandeur,  and  in  private  the  ease  and 
elegance,  of  the  court  of  Versailles,  soon  ef¬ 
fected  a  striking"  alteration  in  the  Russian 
courtier.  Wealthier  even  than  his  foreign 
rivals,  and  naturally  extravagant,  he  indulged 
in  scenes  of  prodigality  .and  magnificence, 

.  which  flattered  the  vanity  of  his  mistress, 
and  brought,  as  usual,  in  their  train  a  gene¬ 
ral  relaxation  of  morals  :  and,  as  the  vices  of 
that  insinuating  court  which  was  held  up  as 
a  model  were  much  more  easy  to  imitate 
than  the  high-bred  air  and  elegance  of  their 
deportment,  the  court  of  Petersburg,  towards 
the  close  of  that  reign,  had  arrived  at  a  pitch 
of  corruption  and  profligacy  which  gave  rise 
to  the  cutting  observation  I  have  lately  cited. 

This  degeneracy  of  morals,  which  after  all 


70 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


was  only  limited  to  a  certain  class,  but  the 
most  influential  in  the  state,  gradually  di¬ 
minished  that  feeling  of  respect  and  fear  for 
the  royal  authority  which  had  hitherto  cha¬ 
racterized  the  Russian  nobility :  they  became 
turbulent  and  self-willed ;  so,  much  so,  that 
when  Paul  I.  came  to  the  throne,  however 
he  may  be  justly  accused  of  caprice  and  cru¬ 
elty  in  many  instances,  yet  some  acts  of  se¬ 
verity  were  justified  by  necessity,  and  proved 
a  wholesome  exercise  of  authority,  rather* 
than  the  act  of  a  despot. 


Yours,  ever, 


r 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


71 


r 


LETTER  VIL 

Emperor  Paul.  His  character  and  death.— Review  of  his  policy. 

Accession  of  Alexander  and  of  Nicholas. — Archduke  Con¬ 
stantine. — Political  and  military  power  of  Russia — Her  civiliza¬ 
tion.  Former  despotism  of  her  Nobles. 

Petersburg,  12th  December,  1829. 

My  DEAR  - , 

I  STATED  in  my  last  that  Panl  had  given 
some  Avholesome  lessons  of  severity  to  his 
turbulent  nobles,  but  I  did  not  mean  to  offer 
an  excuse  for  the  numberless  acts  of  extra¬ 
vagance  and  cruelty  which  marked  his  short 
and  unfortunate  reign.  The  gangrene  was 
in  his  mind  long  before  he  came  to  the 
throne;  a  continued  series  of  ill-treatment 
had  exasperated  his  feelings,  and  perhaps 
alienated  his  reason. 

Brought  up  with  unnatural  harshness  by 
his  mother  Catherine,  who  from  the  proud 
height  of  her  powder  never  deigned  to  treat 


72  CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 

him  like  a  son,  he  was  during  thirty-five 
years  of  his  life,  the  object  of  humiliation  and 
contempt  from  all  the  court,  which  he  en¬ 
dured  in  silence,  while  he  trembled  before 
the  overwhelming  genius  of  his  repulsive  pa¬ 
rent.  When  at  length  by  her  death  he  was 
placed  on  the  throne  of  his  ancestors, '  he 
found  it  surrounded  by  men  who,  feeling 
themselves  naturally  the  objects  of  his  aver¬ 
sion,  were  jealous  of  their  own  pretensions, 
and  ill-disposed  towards  his  authority. 

Paul  was  fully  impressed  with  the  danger 
of  his  position ;  and  his  conduct  was  governed 
by  a  firm  resolution  to  mortify  the  pride, 
and  check  the  insubordination,  of  these  tur¬ 
bulent  spirits.  When  one  of  the  Narishkins, 
with  a  haughty  air,  claimed  of  him  some 
privileges  which  he  asserted  were  due  to  him 
as  prerogatives  of  his  noble  rank,  Paul  re¬ 
plied,  “  Are  you  aware,  sir,  that  there  are  no 
men  of  rank  in  Russia,  except  those  whom  I 
choose  to  notice;  and,  moreover,  that  they 
only  continue  to  remain  so  as  long  as  I  am 
pleased  to  notice  them?” 

The  recollection  of  past  mortifications,  act¬ 
ing  on  his  galled  nature,  was  immediately 
manifested  in  the  most  undisguised  hatred  of 
every  favourite  who  had  been  fostered,  and 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


73 


every  plan  which  had  been  projected,  by  the 
late  Empress.  Under  the  mask  of  reform  he 
was  gnilty  of  various  acts  of  oppression  and 
cruel^,  he  committed  even  freaks  of  extrava¬ 
gance  which  bordered  on  folly;  but  in  all 
these  rash  and  incoherent  proceedings,  there 
still  might  be  traced  one  paramount  feeling 
uppermost  in  his  mind, — a  rooted  dislike  to 
the  memory  of  his  mother. 

The  extraordinary  step  which  he  took  in 
ordering  the  disinterment  of  his  father’s 
body,  Peter  III.,  that  it  might  be  transferred 
to  the  imperial  burial-place  in  the  fortress, 
awakened  a  host  of  fears  and  recollections  in 
those  who  had  hoped  that  the  circumstances 
of  that  tragical  death,  if  not  forgotten,  would 
never  again  be  exposed  to  public  notoriety. 
The  corpse  was  brought  from  the  monastery 
of  St.  Alexander  Newsky  with  great  pomp 
to  the  palace,  where  it  was  destined  to  lie  in 
state  for  three  days  previous  to  its  final  re¬ 
moval. 

At  this  awful  moment  Paul  conceived  the 
wild  idea  of  uniting  in  death  those  whom 
hatred,  crime,  and  ambition  had  so  widely 
separated  in  life.  The  bodies  of  the  late 
Empress  Catherine  and  her  husband,  the 
murdered  Peter,  were  exposed  together  to 

VOL.  I, — 7 


74 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


public  view  on  a  magnificent  platform, 
erected  on  purpose,  surrounded  with  all  the 
melancholy  pomp  of  an  imperial  funeral. 

The  spacious  apartment  was  hung  with 
black ;  silver  sconces  adorned  the  walls,  from 
whence  the  lighted  tapers  threw  a  gloomy 
ray  on  the  gorgeous  catafalques,  and  groups 
of  priests  occupied  in  performing  the  last  re¬ 
ligious  duties  to  the  dead.  The  doors  were 
thrown  open  for  the  admission  of  all  the  court. 
Here  a  scene  ensued  which  is  hardly  credi¬ 
ble  ;  but  it  is  so  positively  asserted  by  those 
who  could  have  no  intention  to  deceive,  that 
I  cannot  disbelieve  it. 

The  body  of  Catherine,  which  had  been 
embalmed  with  a  negligence  which  almost 
seemed  premeditated,  offered  to  those  who 
advanced  to  make  their  obeisance,  and  kiss 
the  hand  of  the  deceased,  an  object  of  the 
most  disgusting  horror.  Amidst  the  costly 
ornaments  and  jewels  with  which,  as  if  in 
mock  derision,  the  imperial  remains  were  de¬ 
corated,  the  worm  of  corruption  w^as  seen 
writhing  through  its  prey,  and  the  loathsome 
symptoms  of  decomposition  had  left  in  the 
hideous  mass  no  trace  of  the  features  of  the 
once  haughty  and  puissant  Catherine. 

The  surrounding  crowd  retired  shudder- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


75 


ing,  and  in  doubt  whether  this  dreadful 
spectacle  originated  in  a  feeling  of  respect, 
on  the  part  of  Paul,  to  his  father,  or  in  his 
still  junceasing  hatred  to  his  mother.  The 
latter  idea  became  most  predominant  when 
Alexis  Orlolf  was  seen,  dragged  from  his  re¬ 
tirement  by  order  of  Paul,  to  assist  at  this 
funeral  procession,  and  hold  a  corner  of  the 
pall  which  concealed  the  corpse  of  his  former 
victim.  With  trembling  steps  he  followed 
in  the  melancholy  train ;  while  his  body, 
bent  with  years,  and  his  features  convulsed 
with  agony,  testified  how  severely  he  ex¬ 
piated  the  past  at  this  trying  moment. 

It  was  a  refinement  of  vengeance,  not  only 
pardonable  but  justifiable,  if  it  originated  in 
filial  affection ;  but  it  tended  more  and  more 
to  alienate  the  hearts  of  those  who  were  al¬ 
ready  predisposed  to  murmur  at  every  act  of 
their  ill-fated  sovereign. 

Few  circumstances  excited  more  discon¬ 
tent  against  Paul  than  the  changes  which  he 
effected  in  the  army,  and  particularly  in  the 
regiments  of  guards.  He  always  had  a  cer¬ 
tain  dread  of  that  corps ;  and,  in  order  to  neu¬ 
tralize  their  influence,  he  incorporated  with 
them  troops  which  he  had  raised  himself, 
during  his  retirement  at  Gatshina,  merely  as 


76 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


an  object  of  amusement,  but  on  whom  he  na¬ 
turally  felt  that  every  dependence  could  be 
placed  in  case  of  danger.  The  result  of  this 
ill-judged  measure  was,  that  above  three  hun¬ 
dred  officers  of  the  first  families  in  the  em¬ 
pire,  finding  themselves  obliged  to  associate 
with,  and  in  some  instances  placed  under  the 
command  of,  men  of  low  birth  and  inferior 
condition,  threw  up  their  commissions  and 
quitted  the  service.  These,  and  many  other 
instances  of  tyranny,  folly,  and  even  barba¬ 
rity,  at  last  produced  that  fatal  conspiracy 

which  ended  in  his  death.  Count  P - 

seems  to  have  been  the  leader  of  this  decisive 
step,  which  was  originally  contemplated  with 
no  other  view  than  to  insist  on  his  abdication 
of  the  throne;  and,  as  such,  was  represented 
even  to  Alexander  in  a  light  so  necessary  to 
the  welfare  of  the  state,  that  he  himself  could 
not,  however  repulsive  it  might  have  been  to 
his  feelings,  withhold  his  assent,  coupled, 
however,  always  with  the  condition  that  in 
any  case  his  father’s  life  should  be  most  re¬ 
ligiously  respected. 

The  conspirators,  having  first  murdered 
the  sentinel  on  duty  at  the  door,  broke  into 
the  room  where  Paul  had  retired  to  rest  at 
night  in  the  St.  Michael’s  palace.  Great 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


77 


was  their  panic  when,  rushing  to  the  bed, 
they  found  it  empty,  and  their  victim  gone. 
Their  first  impression  was  that  he  must  have 
escaped  by  a  private  staircase  which  commu- 
nicafed  with  the  apartment  of  the  Empress 
below ;  but  the  door  on  examination  proved 
to  be  still  locked  on  the  inside,  and  a  closer 
search  discovered  the  unfortunate  Emperor 
hidden  in  the  recess  behind  his  bed.  Drag¬ 
ged  forth  from  his  retreat  by  his  assassins,  he 
began  in  despair  to  make  a  vigorous  resist¬ 
ance  ;  terms  were  proposed  to  which  his  bold 
spirit  refused  to  listen  when  dictated  by  trai¬ 
tors  :  at  length,  disconcerted  by  the  struggle, 
and  seeing  no  chance  of  safety  to  themselves 
if  their  victim  should  escape,  his  enemies 
closed  upon  him,  and  brought  him  to  the 
ground,  when  his  own  adjutant,  ArgamakofF, 
unloosing  his  military  sash,  passed  it  round 
the  neck  of  his  prostrate  sovereign,  and  con¬ 
summated  the  foul  deed  of  regicide. 

The  grief  of  Alexander  was  rendered  more 
bitter  by  the  flagrant  bad  faith  with  wdiich 
the  conspirators  fulfilled  their  promises;  it 
is  but  justice  to  add,  that  all  who  were  im¬ 
plicated  in  this  black  transaction  incurred 
his  most  special  displeasure,  and  were  forced 
to  live  far  away  from  Petersburg. 

7* 


78 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


It  is  now  too  late  to  comment  on  an  event 
which  will  soon  come  within  the  province  of 
the  historian ;  but,  if  the  Russian  nation  is 
really  intent  on  joining  the  ranks  of  modern 
civilization,  she  must  seriously  reflect  on  a 
long  arrear  of  blood-stained  annals,  which  can 
only  be  effaced  by  a  new  career  of  loyalty, 
moderation,  and  humanity. 

The  foreign  policy  of  Paul,  during  his 
very  short  reign,  was  marked  by  the  same 
rashness  and  inconsistency  which  distin¬ 
guished  his  internal  government  at  home. 
He  declared  war  at  once  against  revolution¬ 
ary  F ranee,  he  made  a  new  commercial  treaty 
with  England,  he  gave  to  Louis  XVIII.  an 
asylum  at  Mittau,  he  raised  new  levies,  equip¬ 
ped  new  fleets,  and,  having  signed  a  treaty 
offensive  and  defensive  with  Austria,  he  sent 
to  her  assistance  a  formidable  army  under 
Suwarrow,  which  successfully  attacked  the 
French,  and  nearly  drove  them  out  of  Italy. 
This  was  only  in  1799;  and,  in  a  few  short 
months,  we  find  the  fickle  monarch  con¬ 
cluding  an  alliance  with  Bonaparte,  laying 
an  embargo  on  all  English  shipping  in  the 
Russian  ports,  and,  in  opposition  to  the  inte¬ 
rests  of  his  own  subjects,  breaking  off  all  in¬ 
tercourse  with  a  country  which  not  only  of- 


/ 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


79 


fered  the  best  market  for  all  the  raw  produc¬ 
tions  of  his  empire,  but  by  her  maritime  su¬ 
premacy,  her  wealth,  and  intellectual  advan¬ 
tages^  was  calculated  to  be  the  most  formida¬ 
ble  foe  or  the  most  powerful  ally  of  a  rising 
state.  If  ever  a  war  should  occur  in  Europe, 
the  advantage  for  Russia  will  always  be  found 
in  the  scale  of  an  alliance  with  England. 

France  has  once  made  a  gigantic  effort  to 
reach  her  frontiers,  which  only  brought  dis¬ 
comfiture  on  herself ;  and  can  never  be  re¬ 
peated,  because  the  resources  which  favoured 
that  invasion  will  never  again  be  placed  at 
the  disposal  of  that  power.  The  two  coun¬ 
tries  are  separated  by  so  many  intervening 
states,  that  they  can  never  again  attack  or 
assist  each  other  with  any  great  effect. 

The  first  act  of  Alexander’s  reign  acknow¬ 
ledged  his  wish  for  friendly  and  pacific  rela¬ 
tions  with  Great  Britain ;  the  embargo  on 
her  shipping  was  immediately  taken  off,  and 
a  treaty  of  navigation  signed,  which  ratified 
the  amicable  feelings  between  the  two  coun¬ 
tries.  These  feelings  have  now  subsisted, 
with  the  exception  of  one  short  interval,  1808 
to  1811,  for  eight-and-twenty  years  unshaken 
and  unimpaired,  notwithstanding  the  un¬ 
ceasing  efforts  of  the  bitterest  enemy  of  our 


80 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


commerce  and  prosperity  to  destroy  them. 
They  were  even  maintained  by  Alexander  at 
a  risk  wdiich  seemed  at  one  moment  to 
threaten  the  very  existence  of  his  empire. 

The  inheritor  of  his  throne,  as  well  as  of 
his  excellent  qualities,  regulated  by  more 
prudence  and  greater  steadiness  of  character, 
is  the  great  security  to  Europe  for  the  peace 
and  tranquillity  of  this  vast  empire,  both  at 
home  and  abroad.  Every  thing  that  I  can 
learn  here  proves  that,  during  the  short  pe¬ 
riod  of  his  reign  hitherto,  he  has  succeeded 
in  obtaining,  not  only  the  respect,  but  the 
love  of  his  subjects.  His  personal  courage 
was  as  conspicuous  at  the  trying  epocha  of 
his  accession,  as  his  affability  and  activity  in 
business  since  he  has  been  seated  on  the 
throne.  How  he  arrived  at  that  throne,  in 
preference  to  his  elder  brother  Constantine, 
was  at  first  the  subject  of  much  mysterious 
speculation  to  the  world ;  but  the  arrange¬ 
ment  was  made  with  the  consent  of  all 
parties,  during  the  lifetime  of  Alexander. 

The  marriage-law,  and  right  of  succession, 
particularly  as  regards  the  imperial  family, 
are  rigidly  enforced  in  Russia.  Constantine 
w^as  firmly  attached  and  had  privately  united 
himself  to.  a  lady  of  great  worth,  but  of  an 


CITY  OF  the  czar. 


81 


inferior  rank,  by  whom  his  children  could 
never  aspire  to  the  throne.  Sensible  of  these 
disadvantages,  but  true  to  the  object  of  his 
affections,  he  sacrificed  ambition  at  the  shrine 
of  love,  preferred  a  voluntary  retirement  to 
the  splendour  of  a  crown,  and  signed  the 
transfer  of  his  claims  to  a  younger  brother. 
At  the  death  of  Alexander,  when  the  mutiny 
broke  out  among  the  troops  in  Petersburg, 
his  name  was  unfairly  made  the  watchword 
of  revolt;  the  soldiers  were  instructed  by  their 
leaders  to  cry  out  Constantine  and  the  con¬ 
stitution.”  When  asked  the  meaning  of  this 
cry,  the  ignorant  and  deluded  men  thought 
it  was  Constantine  and  his  wife.”  At  that 
moment,  it  is  said  that  he  wished  to  avail 
himself  of  the  impulse;  but  it  was  too  late, 
the  energy  and  bravery  of  Nicholas  had  de¬ 
cided  the  day. 

The  Emperors  of  Russia  have  entered  into 
the  path  of  civilization,,  retaining  at  the  same- 
time  those  advantages  which  result  to  a  go¬ 
vernment  from  a  state  of  barbarism.  A  part 
of  the  empire  has  imbibed  the  civilization  of 
Europe,  the  rest  still  remains  plunged  in  all 
the  barbarism  of  Asia.  If,  then,  the  civilized 
portion  were  sufficiently  enlightened,  and 
sufficiently  strong,  to  regulate  the  mere  brute 


82 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


force  of  barbarism,  they  would  together  form 
the  most  menacing  and  formidable  union  in 
the  world, — that  of  the  force  aveugle  directed 
by  the  force  raisonnee.  But,  fortunately  for 
Europe,  this  empire  is  become  too  extensive 
on  the  barbarous  side  to  admit  of  such  a  con¬ 
centration  of  its  power  against  its  neighbours. 
The  care  of  her  own  destinies  must  form  the 
principal  occupation  of  Russia.  Monarchies 
so  vast  as  these  have  always  an  inevitable 
tendency  to  disunite  and  divide  themselves; 
increase  of  territory  is  not  always  followed 
by  increase  of  strength;  and  the  capture  of 
Constantinople,  so  invitingly  situated  as  a 
great  capital,  if  ever  it  should  be  achieved, 
mio;ht  suo^ffest  a^ain  the  formation  of  an  east- 
ern  and  western  empire  from  the  North,  as 
it  has  already  done  from  the  South, 

In  a  military  point  of  view  the  importance 
of  Russia  is  merely  comparative  :  she  is  su¬ 
perior  to  Asia,  but  she  is  inferior  to  Europe 
generally.  What  she  has  gained  of  late 
years  in  modern  improvements  has  been  de¬ 
rived  from  her  wars  with  European  powers; 
it  must  be  allowed  that  she  has  been  an  apt 
scholar :  but,  had  she  during  that  interval 
been  limited  to  her  usual  warfare  with  Asia, 
she  would  at  this  moment  be  far  less  formi- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


83 


dable  than  she  really  is.  Europe  now  has 
the  double  advantage  of  knowledge  and  pow¬ 
er  ;  but  while  the  gates  of  Polangen  are  so 
strictly  guarded  against  the  introduction  of 
the  former,  Russia  will  never  be  able  to  com¬ 
pete  with  those  combined  auxiliaries  against 
her.  There  are,  in  fact,  no  apprehensions 
of  danger  to  be  entertained  from  this  quarter, 
even  if  the  pacific  disposition  of  the  present 
government  did  not  tend  to  allay  them.  On 
the  contrary,  Europe  has  every  reason  to  de¬ 
sire  the  diffusion  of  moral  improvement  over 
so  large  a  tract  of  the  habitable  globe ;  and 
this  empire,  if  properly  governed,  is  capable 
of  receiving  a  rapid  development  of  its  dor¬ 
mant  energies.  One  possibility  still  may 
occur, — that  its  Emperors,  startled  at  the 
liberal  opinions  which  must  follow  in  the 
train  of  European  civilization,  or  overawed 
by  the  discontent  and  menaces  of  an  aristo¬ 
cracy  jealous  of  their  privileges  and  obstinate 
in  their  pretensions,  may  rush  headlong  into 
the  opposite  system,  and  attempt  to  plunge 
the  nation  backwards  into  Asiatic  despotism 
and  degradation.  It  will  require  a  strong 
mind  and  a  clear  head  to  resist  this  impres¬ 
sion  ;  such,  if  report  speak  true,  is  now  on 


84 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


the  throne,  and  such  a  life  is  then  the  most 
valuable  life  in  Europe. 

The  dawn  of  civilization  is  only  just  break¬ 
ing  on  this  country :  it  has  tinged  with  its 
light  a  few  privileged  castes,  who  from  their 
height  were  more  exposed  to  the  rays;  but 
the  rest  still  remain  in  utter  darkness.  While 
the  march  of  intellect,  and  the  progress  of 
social  improvement,  have  been  making  such 
rapid  strides  in  Europe  that  the  people  have 
not  only  learnt  their  right  to  be  governed 
with  justice,  but  have  dared  to  assert  it;  in 
this  country,  ignorance  and  slavery  still  pre¬ 
dominate.  A  long  succession  of  weak  princes 
in  Europe  has  taught  their  subjects  the  im¬ 
portant  secret,  that  royalty,  and  not  wisdom, 
may  be  hereditary. 

If  then  the  time  is  past  w^hen  instruction 
and  example  are  to  be  derived  from  the 
higher  classes,  the  time  is  gradually  ap¬ 
proaching  when,  from  the  general  extension 
of  knowledge,  they  will  arise  from  the  lower. 
If  the  light  does  not  descend  from  above,  it 
will  ascend  from  below ;  there  is  no  chance 
of  the  Vestal  flame  being  extinguished.  Un¬ 
der  these  novel  circumstances,  this  exaltation 
of  one  class  and  depression  of  another,  if  kept 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


85 


within  proper  bounds,  effects  not  less  a  be¬ 
neficial  change  in  the  social,  than  in  the  po¬ 
litical  system.  In  both  it  eradicates  preju¬ 
dice,  it  levels  distinctions ;  it  not  only  brings 
the  people  nearer  to  the  throne,  but  it  brings 
mankind  nearer  to  each  other.  The  man  of 
science  without  rank  feels  his  claim,  the  man 
of  rank  without  information  must  perceive 
his  nullity ;  and,  in  proportion  as  this  moral 
level  is  established,  how  much  must  the  ge¬ 
neral  intercourse  of  society  be  softened  and 
refined !  I  am  no  advocate,  as  you  know, 
for  what  is  generally  called  the  levelling  sys¬ 
tem, — that  interested  cry  of  the  Radical 
party,  which  has  no  other  object  or  real  sig¬ 
nification  than  Ote  toi  de  Id,  pour  queje  m\j 
mettef'’  but  a  due  weight  thrown  into  the 
scale  of  humble  talent,  and  as  much  de¬ 
ducted  from  that  of  ignorant  pretension,  may 
be  as  salutary  in  the  moral  world,  as  a  limited 
power  to  the  monarch,  and  constitutional 
liberty  to  the  subject,  may  be  necessary  in 
the  political. 

But  here  am  I,  in  the  capital  of  Russia^ 
talking  of  limited  monarchy  and  constitu¬ 
tional  liberty;  words  as  unintelligible  to  a 
Russian  ear,  as  their  difficult  language  is  to 
mine. 

VOL.  I. — 8 


86 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  extreme 
despotism  which  the  nobles  formerly  exer¬ 
cised  over  their  vassals,  when,  no  farther 
back  than  during  the  reign  of  Alexander,  a 
ukase  was  issued,  mitigating  their  subjection 
to  the  following  extent : 

Every  serf  was  allowed  to  enjoy  the  fruit  of 
his  own  private  labour.  The  nobles  were  for¬ 
bidden  to  sell  their  serfs  separately,  and  with¬ 
out  the  land  on  which  they  were  settled: 
they  were  also  forbidden  to  inflict  corporal 
punishment  without  trial,  or  to  force  them 
into  marriages  without  their  consent. 

Extraordinary  as  it  may  appear  to  us  that 
such  a  law  should  have  been  requisite,  still 
this  memorable  ukase,  which  was  a  great  act 
of  public  beneficence  at  the  time,  has  been 
followed  up  by  others  of  the  same  tendency ; 
and,  if  the  liberal  intentions  of  the  donors 
are  not  frustrated  by  opposing  interests,  it  is 
not  too  much  to  expect  that  the  present  de¬ 
basing  system  may  be  gradually  abolished.* 

Ever  yours. 

*  It  is  not  necessary  to  observe  that  these  remarks  were  written 
in  the  year  1829 ;  since  which,  great  ameliorations  have  taken 
place  in  the  position  of  the  serfs,  all  tending  to  the  enfranchise¬ 
ment  of  the  lower  orders. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


87 


r 


LETTER  VIIL 


Statue  of  Peter  the  Great. — Anecdote  of  Napoleon. — Inconvenient 
embarrassment. — Post-office. — Imperial  Palace. — The  Hermi¬ 
tage,  and  its  splendid  paintings. — The  Weather. 

Petersburg,  17th  December,  1829. 

My  dear - , 

In  tlie  most  conspicuous  part  of  this  city, 
near  the  Admiralty,  has  been  erected  the  ce¬ 
lebrated  statue  of  Peter  the  Great  on  horse¬ 
back,  which  was  executed  by  a  French 
sculptor,  Falconet,  according  to  the  design 
of  Catherine.  The  idea  of  placing  that  mo¬ 
narch  on  a  rugged  rock,  instead  of  an  ordi¬ 
nary  pedestal,  w^as  novel  and  grand;  but  the 
execution  has  been  a  failure.  The  rock, 
which  was  brought  with  infinite  labour 
and  expense  from  the  marshes  of  Finland 
to  the  banks  of  the  Neva,  was  originally 
forty  feet  long  and  twenty  feet  high. — 


88 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


Such  a  mass,  in  its  natural  state,  would 
have  been  highly  appropriate;  but  the  art¬ 
ist  had  the  vanity  to  think  that  he  could 
improve  it :  he  chipped  it,  he  mauled  it,  he 
destroyed  the  free  and  rough  character  of  the 
block,  to  give  it  a  more  polished  appearance; 
and  having,  by  his  officious  interference,  re¬ 
duced  it  to  one-half  of  its  original  size,  he 
finished  by  giving  it  the  shape  of  a  cap  of 
liberty, — rather  a  farcical  emblem  in  this  de¬ 
spotic  country.  He  thus  destroyed  the  ef¬ 
fect  of  the  statue,  which  now  represents  a 
little  rock  groaning  under  the  weight  of  an 
immense  horse ;  and,  by  another  inadvertence, 
Peter  himself  appears  in  the  old  Russian 
dress,  which  he  had  so  arbitrarily  compelled 
his  subjects  to  abandon. 

The  horse  is  a  fine  composition,  prancing 
on  his  hind-legs ;  which  being  insufficient  to 
support  the  ponderous  weight  of  the  body, 
an  emblematical  serpent  has  been  introduced, 
twining  upwards  to  his  tail,  on  which  he  is 
supposed  to  trample.  This  did  not  escape 

the  quick  eye  of  our  facetious  friend  Y - , 

when  he  was  here  a  little  time  ago ;  who,  as 
he  passed  by  this  statue,  remarked,  with  his 
usual  humour,  It  is  a  very  fine  horse,  but 
w’hat  a  pity  that  he  should  have  worms!’' 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


89 


I  dined  yesterday  in  company  with  a  per¬ 
son  who  has  long  been  a  resident  here,  and 
amused  me  with  several  anecdotes:  he  was 
well  acquainted  with  Caulaincourt  during 
his  embassy  to  this  court;  and,  being  him¬ 
self  a  Frenchman,  was  probably  intimate 
with  the  secretaries  and  suite  from  whom  he 
gained  his  information. 

When  Napoleon  had  accomplished  his  di¬ 
vorce  from  Josephine,  and  wished  to  ally  him¬ 
self  with  a  legitimate  power,  it  has  always 
been  asserted  that  he  hesitated  in  his  choice 
between  a  grand-duchess  of  Russia  and  an 
archduchess  of  Austria,  both  of  whom  were 
willing  to  accept  his  proposals.  It  appears 
that  Caulaincourt  did  receive  private  instruc¬ 
tions  from  his  court  to  sound  the  feelings  of 
this  imperial  family  on  the  subject  of  a  mar¬ 
riage  between  Napoleon  and  the  Grand-du¬ 
chess  Catherine  Paulo wna,  sister  of  the  Em¬ 
peror  Alexander. 

As  one  primary  obstacle  was  suspected  in 
the  scruples  of  the  Empress-mother,  it  was 
thought  advisable  to  commence  operations 
by  some  vague  allusions  to  the  connexion,  so 
perceptible  as  to  draw  forth  the  expression 
of  her  sentiments,  and  yet  so  guarded  as  not 
to  compromise  the  dignity  or  vanity  of  the 
8^ 


90  CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 

imperial  suitor.  This  delicate  mission  was 
intrusted  to  the  French  ambassador,  who,  if 
the  story  is  true,  used  the  following  inge¬ 
nious  device  to  fulfil  the  object  of  it. 

On  the  next  interview  which  he  had  with 
the  Empress-mother,  after  the  discussion  of 
various  topics  which  had  no  particular  ten¬ 
dency,  he  gradually,  and  as  if  by  chance,  ted 
the  conversation  to  the  subject  of  dreams;  her 
majesty  was  rather  superstitious,  and  swal¬ 
lowed  the  bait :  Caulaincourt  followed  up  his 
advantage ;  and,  having  engaged  her  atten¬ 
tion,  proposed  to  relate  a  singular  dream 
which,  no  later  than  the  preceding  night, 
had  happened  to  himself.  The  Empress  ex¬ 
pressed  her  willingness  to  hear  it.  Caulain¬ 
court  then  detailed  in  that  shape  the  object 
of  his  secret  mission :  he  pretended  that  he 
had  dreamed  of  an  order,  sent  to  him  by  Na¬ 
poleon,  to  demand  the  hand  of  the  Grand- 
duchess  Catherine  Paulowna;  he  took  care, 
during  the  recital,  to  introduce  certain  flat¬ 
tering  eulogiums  on  the  princess  herself, 
which  he  thought  might  tend  to  propitiate 
her  in  his  favour,  and  then  waited  in  silence 
for  a  comment.  The  Empress,  who  had  lis¬ 
tened  with  increasing  gravity  to  every  word, 
then  calmly  replied,  in  a  tone  which  discon- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


91 


certed  all  his  hopes  at  once,  “  Monsieur  T  Am- 
bassadeur,  vous  savez  bien  que  tout  songe  est 
un  mensonge.” 

The  disappointed  Caulaincourt  returned 
to  his  hotel,  and  despatched  a  courier  to  Paris 
with  the  mortifying  intelligence;  Napoleon 
then  transferred  his  proposals  to  the  Arch¬ 
duchess  Marie  Louise,  which  met  with  a 
more  favourable  reception. 

As  if  there  was  always  a  secret  under-cur¬ 
rent  in  affairs,  both  public  and  private,  which 
moved  the  destinies  of  mankind  without  their 
knowledge,  my  informer  pretended  that  the 
fatal  invasion  of  Russia  by  Napoleon  might 
be  traced  to  this  refusal ;  nay,  more,  that  the 
defection  of  Francis  IL,  in  1813,  was  only  oc¬ 
casioned  by  his  private  resentment,  when  he 
at  last  heard  of  the  previous  preference  shown 
for  an  alliance  with  Russia.  If  such  ridicu¬ 
lous  suppositions  could  have  any  weight,  the 
history  of  the  w^orld  should  be  written  afresh. 

There  is  one  extraordinary  deficiency  in 
a  populous  capital  like  this,  which  is  also 
highly  inconvenient ;  there  is  no  little  post. 
During  my  short  stay  at  Berlin,  I  met  at  Sir 
Brook  Taylor’s  a  gentleman  attached  to  the 
Russian  embassy,  who  requested  me  to  take 
charge  of  a  letter  for  the  Grand-duchess  He- 


92 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


len.  The  day  after  my  arrival  I  sent  my  ser¬ 
vant  with  this  letter  to  the  palace,  directing 
him  to  give  it  into  the  hands  of  her  imperial 
highness’s  chamberlain ;  hut  great  was  my 
surprise  when  he  brought  it  back,  saying 
that,  on  being  introduced  to  that  officer,  he 
had  recoiled  from  the  packet  as  if  it  had  been 
infected,  and  absolutely  refused  on  any  ac¬ 
count  to  receive  it.  I  was  obliged  to  go  the 
next  day,  declare  my  name,  and  exhibit  my 
passport,  before  I  could  be  relieved  from  my 
trust.  If  there  had  been  a  little  post,  I  could 
have  avoided  this  embarrassment :  but  I  have 
since  learnt  that  this  feeling  of  suspicion  is 
not  confined  to  the  palace ;  it  is  the  general 
custom  in  the  great  houses  to  refuse  admis¬ 
sion  to  all  letters,  unless  the  quarter  from 
whence  they  come  is  clearly  ascertained.  It 
is  a  relique  of  barbarous  prejudices,  from 
which  the  nation  is  slowly  emerging :  by 
some  it  is  ascribed  to  the  apprehension  of  re¬ 
ceiving  applications  for  money,  by  others  to 
a  dread  of  unpleasant  intelligence;  but  it 
must  often  lead  to  inconvenient  embarrass¬ 
ments  among  themselves,  and  always  pro¬ 
duce  an  offensive  feeling  in  the  mind  of  a 
foreigner.  A  little  post,  therefore,  if  once 
established  by  the  government,  would  not 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


93 


only  be  a  general  convenience,  but  might 
tend  to  remove  this  barbarous  prejudice.  As 
to  the  general  post  in  Russia,  it  is  a  source 
of  unceasing  anxiety  to  those  correspondents 
who  may  become  objects  of  suspicion  to  the 
government.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  every 
letter  is  opened  at  the  office,  but  the  fact  is 
notorious,  that  no  seal  is  held  sacred  in  that 
department ;  and  foreigners  in  writing  to  this 
country  should  be  extremely  guarded  in  their 
allusions  to  political  subjects,  as  an  indiscreet 
expression  may  involve  a  friend  in  some  very 
serious  embarrassment. 

After  dwelling  on  a  Russian  petitesse,  let 
me  turn  to  an  object  of  Russian  grandeur.  I 
have  lately  seen  the  imperial  palace ;  but  I 
really  want  words  to  describe  its  extent,  its 
magnificence,  and  the  splendour  of  its  deco¬ 
rations.  The  eye  is  really  dazzled  with  a 
succession  of  gorgeous  apartments,  furnished 
with  great  richness  as  well  as  taste.  The 
most  striking  of  these  are  the  throne-room, 
the  chapel,  or  hall  of  St.  George,  the  great 
dining-hall,  the  immense  ball-rooms,  and  the 
salle  blanche.  These,  and  other  state  apart¬ 
ments,  occupying  the  surface  of  acres,  are 
one  continued  mass  of  burnished  gold,  paint¬ 
ing,  and  carving;  while  the  private  apart- 


94 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


ments  are  fitted  up  with,  superior  taste  and 
elegance. 

Many  of  the  walls  are  covered  with  a  mas¬ 
tic  preparation,  only  used  in  Russia,  which 
has  all  the  brilliant  effect  of  china;  the  com¬ 
partments  are  painted  by  the  first  artists  in 
figures  or  flowers,  which  would  rival  the 
manufactory  of  Sevres.  Another  peculiarity 
I  observed  in  the  apartment  of  the  Empress, 
which  is  no  where  to  be  seen  in  Europe : 
corners  of  the  room  are  formed  into  bosquets, 
with  trellis-work,  interwoven  with  shrubs 
and  flowers,  which  present  the  deceitful  ap¬ 
pearance  of  spring,  while  the  immense  win¬ 
dows  of  plate-glass  show,  as  it  were,  only  the 
picture  of  a  winter  scene  without.  There 
are  various  species  of  woods,  all  of  Rus¬ 
sian  growth,  which  are  used  in  the  cabinet¬ 
work  for  panels,  doors,  and  wainscots;  pro¬ 
ducing  a  novel  effect,  much  more  striking 
than  our  oak  or  mahogany.  One  room  in 
particular  was  panelled  with  a  gray  wood, 
the  ornaments  on  which  were  of  chased  sil¬ 
ver,  finely  executed,  combining  ^n  air  of 
simplicity  and  of  magnificence. 

Here  are  seen,  in  a  glass  case,  the  imperial 
jewels,  the  crowns  of  both  Emperor  and  Em¬ 
press,  and  the  sceptre,  with  the  great  Orloff 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


95 


diamond  at  the  top.  There  are  bnt  few  pic¬ 
tures  in  this  palace,  except  the  portraits  of 
the  in^erial  family.  One  gallery  is  exclu¬ 
sively  appropriated  to  those  of  the  generals 
who  have  distinguished  themselves  in  the 
last  war ;  there  may  he  two  or  three  hundred 
half-lengths,  and  a  whole  length  of  the  Duke 
of  Wellington  is  placed  in  a  very  conspicu¬ 
ous  situation. 

There  is  an  air  of  grandeur  and  colossal 
magnificence  in  this  palace,  which  certainly 
may  rival  with  Versailles,  though  I  must  still 
prefer  the  latter  on  account  of  its  situation. 

Adjoining  to  the  winter  palace  is  the  her¬ 
mitage,  huilt  by  the  Empress  Catherine,  for 
the  purpose  of  retirement  from  the  cares  of 
state,  and  the  i^eception  of  those  friends  whom 
she  admitted  to  her  particular  intimacy.  It 
is  a  spacious  and  magnificent  building;  con¬ 
tains  a  very  splendid  private  theatre,  only 
used  on  particular  occasions ;  and,  being  situ¬ 
ated  so  near  to  the  other,  appears  to  have 
been  a  very  unnecessary  piece  of  extrava¬ 
gance.  These  apartments  seem  now  only 
destined  to  contain  the  vast  collection  of  fine 
pictures  which  belong  to  the  imperial  house. 
I  will  only  say,  that  a  numberless  succession 
of  rooms  are  filled  with  the  finest  productions 


96 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


of  the  old  masters,  which  it  would  he  endless 
to  enumerate,  and  impossible  to  appreciate; 
they  correspond  with  the  boundless  wealth 
of  the  proprietor. 

For  the  last  ten  days  the  weather  has  been 
remarkably  mild  for  this  climate ;  but,  while 
I  was  congratulating  myself  on  a  tempera¬ 
ture  from  which  I  felt  much  less  inconveni¬ 
ence  than  I  expected,  the  very  unseasonable 
change  was  productive  of  much  anxiety  here. 
A  severe  degree  of  frost  is  necessary  at  this 
season,  not  merely  to  the  health,  but  to  the 
very  existence  of  the  people.  If  the  miasma 
from  the  marshy  soil  is  not  checked  and  kept 
down  by  the  nipping  frost,  malaria  will  arise, 
producing  various  and  contagious  diseases : 
if  there  is  not  sufficient  snow  on  the  ground 
to  form  a  trainage  on  the  roads  for  sledges, 
all  communication  with  the  interior  becomes 
difficult,  or  absolutely  intercepted ;  and,  last¬ 
ly,  the  supplies  of  the  capital,  which  depend 
almost  entirely  on  the  stocks  of  frozen  pro¬ 
visions  received  from  all  parts  of  the  country, 
if  curtailed  of  these  resources  by  the  mildness 
of  the  season,  may  eventually  become  so 
scarce,  that  a  famine  would  be  the  ultimate 
consequence :  to  this  may  be  added  the  loss 
which  must  accrue  to  the  farmer  and  pea- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


97 


sant  from  the  corruption  and  destruction  of 
their  dead  stock  prepared  for  the  winter’s 
consumption.  Thus,  in  the  distribution  of 
events,  there  seems  an  unerring  system  of 
compensation  pursued  by  nature,  which 
atones  even  for  its  own  deficiencies ;  a  course 
so  regulated  by  wisdom,  that  even  a  momen¬ 
tary  departure  from  it  must  produce  confu¬ 
sion.  To-day  these  apprehensions  may  sub¬ 
side  ;  the  snow  falls,  and  a  gloomy  sky  pro¬ 
mises  a  change  of  weather.  It  is,  moreover, 
the  birthday  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas,  who 
is  still  too  unwell  to  appear  in  public. 

The  days  pass  here  with  most  inconceiva¬ 
ble  rapidity.  It  is  hardly  light  at  nine  in  the 
morning,  and  it  is  dusk  before  three  in  the 
afternoon.  The  nights  are  long  and  tedious, 
as  never  was  any  capital  so  destitute  of  pub¬ 
lic  amusements. 

I  have  just  received  your  letter,  and  will 
reply  to  it  in  a  few  days. 

Yours  ever. 


VOL.  I. — 9 


98 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


LETTER  IX. 


Pouschkin,  the  Byron  of  Russia. — His  writings,  and  death  by  du¬ 
elling. — The  Arsenal:  Trophies  of  war. — Magnificent  funeral 
car. — Pictures  of  the  Imperial  family. — Ice-hills. — The  Thea¬ 
tres. — Etiquette. — Equipages. — Military  colonization. — Magni¬ 
ficent  dinner  to  the  Emperor. — Taste  for  puns. 


Petersburg,  24th  December,  1829. 

My  dear  - - , 

I  MET  last  night  at  Baron  Rehansen’s,  the 
Byron  of  Russia;  his  name  is  Pouschkin,  the 
celebrated,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  only 
poet  in  this  country.  His  fame  is  established 
and  unrivalled;  no  competitor  attempts  to 
win  the  laurel  from  his  brow.  His  poems 
are  read  with  delight  by  his  countrymen, 
who  alone  can  appreciate  their  merit;  and 
his  labours  are  not  without  reward, — ^he  can 
always  command  ten  roubles  for  every  line 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


99 


from  his  publisher.  In  such  a  dearth  of  li¬ 
terature  and  literary  taste,  it  will  be  no  great 
injustice  to  suppose  that  his  compositions 
may  be  overrated  by  his  readers ;  and,  as  his 
genius  is  not  likely  to  be  excited  by  emula¬ 
tion,  they  will,  probably,  not  be  voluminous, 
particularly  as,  content  with  his  present  fame, 
he  seldom  has  recourse  to  his  muse  except 
when  his  finances  begin  to  fail.  I  could  ob¬ 
serve  nothing  remarkable  in  his  person  or 
manners;:  he  was  slovenly  in  his  appearance, 
which  is  sometimes  the  failing  of  men  of  ta¬ 
lent,  and  avowed  openly  his  predilection  for 
gambling:  the  only  notable  expression,  in¬ 
deed,  which  dropped  from  him  during  the 
evening  was  this,  faimerois  mieux  mourir 
que  ne  pas  jouery  Though  a  decided  liberal, 
and  sourdement  implicated  in  the  late  con¬ 
spiracy,  he  has  always  been  treated  with 
great  attention  and  kindness  by  the  Empe¬ 
ror  ;  his  muse,  also,  was  enlisted  in  the  revo¬ 
lutionary  cause,  and  produced  a  poem  which, 
under  such  circumstances,  no  other  despotic 
sovereign  could  ever  have  forgotten  or  for¬ 
given.  It  made  a  great  sensation  here:  it 
bears  the  trait  of  genius;  and,  as  it  has  never 
been  printed,  I  have  obtained  a  copy  of  the 
French  translation. 


100 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


“  Le  Poignard. 

Le  Dieu  de  Lemnos  fa  forge  ponr  les 
mains  de  Timmortelle  Nemesis.  Oh!  Poig¬ 
nard  vengeur,  mysterieux  gardien  de  la  li¬ 
ber  te,  dernier  juge  de  la  violence  et  de  Top- 
probre !  Lorsque  la  foudre  divine  est  mnette, 
lorsqne  le  glaive  des  loix  est  rouille,  tu  bribes, 
tu  viens  realiser  les  esperances  ou  les  male¬ 
dictions  ! 

L ’ombre  du  trone,  la  pourpre  des  habits 
de  fete  derobent  en  vain  ton  eclat  anx  regards 
du  scelerat  que  tu  menaces !  Son  oeil  epou- 
vante  te  pressent,  et  te  cherche  au  milieu 
des  repas  splendides.  Tes  coups  inevitables 
le  trouvent,  et  sur  les  routes,  et  sur  les  dots, 
pres  des  autels,  et  sous  la  tente;  malgre  le 
rempart  des  verroux,  et  sur  un  lit  de  repos, 
et  dans  les  bras  de  sa  famille.  Le  Rubicon 
sacre  bouillonne,  franchi  par '  Cesar ;  Rome 
succombe;  la  loi  n’est  plus  qu’un  vain  fan- 
tome!  Soudain  Brutus  se  leve,  et  Cesar 
meurt,  abattu  aux  pieds  de  Pompee,  que  re- 
jouit  son  dernier  soupir. 

‘‘  De  nos  jours  la  Proscription  tenebreuse, 
enfant  de  la  Re  volte,  poussoit  des  cris  san- 
guinaires.  .  Un  bourreau  hideux  veilloit  au- 
pres  du  cadavre  mutile  de  la  Liberte  nation- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


101 


ale :  cet  ap5tre  du  carnage  envoy oit  les  plus 
nobles  victimes  a  I’Enfer  insatiable,  mais  le 
triburial  des  Cieux  te  remit  a  TEumenide 
vengeresse. 

“  Oh  Sand!  martyr  de  I’independance, 
meurtrier  liberateur!  Que  le  billot  soit  le 
terme  de  ta  vie,  la  Vertu  ne  consacre  moins 
ta  cendre  proscrite :  un  souffle  divin  s’y  con¬ 
serve  encore;  ton  ombre  courageuse  plane 
sur  le  pays  si  cher  a  ton  coeur,  elle  menace 
toujours  la  force  usurpatrice;  et  sur  ton  au- 
guste  mausolee,  brille,  au  lieu  d’epitaphe,  un 
poignard  sans  inscription.” 

Under  so  arbitrary  a  government  I  know 
not  which  is  most  extraordinary, — the  au¬ 
dacity  of  the  poet  who  composed,  or  the 
magnanimity  of  the  sovereign  who  over¬ 
looked,  such  a  violent  and  treasonable  pro¬ 
duction.^ 


*  At  the  time  these  letters  were  written,  Pouschkin  was  still 
one  of  the  disaffected  at  Petersburg;  but  the  Emperor,,  wishing  to 
encourage  his  talent,  gradually  drew  him  nearer  to  his  person :  he 
pardoned  some  other  exceptionable  productions;  and  at  last  bound 
him,  by  a  promise,  not  to  publish  any.  verses  without  previously 
submitting  them  to  his  perusal.  He  then  made  him  one  of  his 
chamberlains,  and  treated  him  with  great  favour.  Pouschkin  was 
now  in  the  road  to  prosperity;  he  married  a  young  lady  of  great 
beauty,  but  this  marriage  has  lately  produced  the^most  fatal  con¬ 
sequences.  In  February  last  the  public  papers  announced  the  fol¬ 
lowing  catastrophe:  “The  celebrated  P.ouschkin  the  most  distin- 

9^ 


102 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


At  the  extremity  of  the  Faiiboiirg^  Gargarin 
is  the  arsenal,  bristling  with  cannon,  as  if  to 
intimidate  the  multitude.  This  is  a  repository 
of  arms  of  every  description;  and;  notwith¬ 
standing  the  draughts  that  have  been  made 
from  this  depot  to  supply  the  troops  in  the 
late  war  with  Turkey,  there  still  remains 
sufficient  to  equip  a  very  numerous  army 
with  all  the  matetiel  necessary  for  a  cam¬ 
paign. 

Great  care  has  been  taken  to  preserve 
every  trophy  of  past  victories ;  not  a  standard 
or  a  flag,  however  tattered,  has  been  lost  or 
mislaid:  some  decorate  the  churches,  the 
fortress,  or  the  palaces;  but  the  largest  col¬ 
lection  is  reserved  for  this  arsenal,  where 
they  are  classed  under  the  heads  of  the  va- 


guished  poet  of  Russia,  has  been  killed  in  a  duel  at  S.  Petersburg, 
with  his  brother-in-law,  Blr.  d’Anthes,  a  French  officer  in  the 
Russian  service,  and  the  adopted  son  of  a  foreign  minister  accre¬ 
dited  to  this  court.  The  quarrel,  which  has  terminated  so  fatally, 
originated  in  some  family  disputes.  The  deceased  survived  his 
wound  only  about  two  hours;  his  adversary  has  also  been  seriously 
wounded.  The  foreign  minister  to  whom  allusion  was  made,  is 
Mr.  Hackert,  the  representative  of  Holland  at  S.  Petersburg.  This 
event  produced  a  great  sensation  in  society:  the  Emperor  was 
sorely  afflicted,  and  Mr.  d’Anthes  was  condemned  by  a  Russian 
court-martial  to  the  rank  of  a  private ;  but,  being  a  foreigner,  was 
sent  out  of  the  country.  He  was  a  young  man  of  distinguished 
manners ;  and,  but  for  this  melancholy  circumstance,  would  have 
attained  a  high  rank  in  the  service. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


103 


rious  nations  from  whom  they  were  taken : 
in  this  wholesale  display  of  national  vanity, 
it  was^  some  satisfaction  to  me  that  not  one 
British  colour  was  to  be  seen. 

There  are  some  models  in  wood  of  diffe¬ 
rent  fortresses,  both  European  and  Asiatic; 
some  curious  ancient  field-pieces,  cuirasses, 
and  uniforms ;  among  others,  the  whole  war¬ 
drobe  of  the  late  Emperor  Alexander,  and  all 
the  orders  with  which  he  had  ever  been  in¬ 
vested.  Here  is  also  shown  the  magnificent 
funeral  car  which  conveyed  his  body  to  the 
grave;  it  was  driven  by  his  own  favourite 
coachman,  to  whom  he  had  given  the  rank 
of  colonel,  according  to  the  military  rules  of 
precedence  in  this  country:  the  mourning 
standards,  the  armour,  and  other  decorations 
used  in  the  procession,  are  also  carefully  pre¬ 
served  for  future  service.  In  all  the  public 
institutions,  in  all  the  palaces,  the  pictures 
of  the  imperial  family  abound ;  there  is  an 
excellent  painting  of  Alexander  on  a  gray 
horse,  by  Dawe,  an  English  artist,  of  which 
several  copies  have  been  taken :  but  I  think 
I  forgot  to  mention  that  of  the  Empress  Ca¬ 
therine,  which  is  seen  at  the  Academy.  She 
is  there  represented  in  male  attire,  riding  on 
a  spirited  horse,  like  a  man,  in  the  full  uniform 


104 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


of  the  Preobayenskoi  guard,  leathern  breeches 
and  military  boots,  with  a  drawn  sword  in 
her  hand;  which  may  have  given  Voltaire 
the  idea  of  naming  her  Catherine  le  grand. 

To  prove  that  our  predictions  of  frost  and 
snow  have  been  amply  verified,  the  ice-hills 
are  established  in  all  their  glory,  and  are  a 
constant  morning’s  amusement  to  the  ama¬ 
teurs:  they  produce  frequent  falls;  but  the 
frozen  slope  is  bounded  on  each  side  by  a 
barrier  of  snow,  which  receives  the  unskilful 
adventurer  without  any  personal  risk.  The 
sledges  on  which  they  sit  are  like  small  iron 
trays  with  a  cushion,  so  light,  that  each  per¬ 
son  can  carry  them  up  the  steps  to  the  start¬ 
ing-place  under  his  arm.  It  is  an  amusing 
sight  while  the  novelty  lasts ;  but,  as  there  is 
no  variety,  and  the  position  of  the  performer 
is  rather  ungraceful,  a  mere  spectator  is  soon 
satisfied. 

We  have  here  an  Italian  opera,  a  French, 
German,  and  Russian  theatre;  but  the  French 
is  decidedly  the  favourite  of  the  court,  as  the 
imperial  family  are  very  regular  in  attendance. 
Their  box  is  on  the  avant  scene,  not  distin¬ 
guished  from  any  other  in  the  house :  they 
come  without  any  state  or  ceremony,  seem 
to  enjoy  the  representation  like  any  bourgeois, 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


105 


and  are  not  remarked  by  the  audience,  as 
they  sit  rather  retired  from  the  front :  some¬ 
times  you  may  catch  a  glimpse,  from  the 
stalls,  of  the  Emperor’s  person  in  a  common 
military  gray  cloak,  when  a  stranger  would 
suppose  it  was  some  officer  of  the  guard  en¬ 
joying  the  play  with  his  family.  The  eti¬ 
quette  which  is  studiously  avoided  by  the 
Emperor  and  Empress  on  these  occasions,  is 
still  rigorously  enforced  by  their  subjects;  no 
carriage  with  a  pair  of  horses  is  allowed  to 
draw  up,  when  the  piece  is  over,  till  those 
with  four  horses  have  driven  away ;  which 
obliges  a  foreigner  to  submit  to  that  addi¬ 
tional  expense;  as  the  same  ridiculous  rule 
prevails  at  the  door  of  private  houses,  if,  as 
in  some  cases,  the  carriage  and  pair  is  not 
completely  excluded. 

It  struck  me  at  once  that  this  exclusive 
law  must  weigh  heavy  on  many  young  men 
in  society  who  could  ill  afford  the  expense 
of  keeping  four  horses ;  but  I  was  informed 
that,  though  a  carriage  and  pair  was  inad¬ 
missible,  a  sledge  with  one  horse  was  consi¬ 
dered  an  aristocratic  conveyance,  and  might 
pass  any  where.  The  result  of  which  is> 
that  a  man  may  arrive  at  a  ball  in  an  open 
sledge,  covered  with  snow ;  but  he  is  debarred 


106 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


from  the  comfort  of  a  close  carriage,  if  he 
cannot  pay  for  four  horses  to  draw  it. 

The  equipages  in  Petersburg  are  of  a  very 
inferior  description,  which  could  not  well  be 
otherwise  in  such  a  climate;  even  in  the  im¬ 
perial  stables  there  are  few  valuable  horses, 
and  no  state  carriages  but  of  the  most  ordi¬ 
nary  appearance.  This  European  luxury 
has  not  yet  been  introduced. 

I  have  been  anxious  to  obtain  some  infor¬ 
mation  on  the  plan  of  military  colonization 
which  has  created  so  much  alarm  in  Europe, 
and  has  been,  though  without  foundation, 
considered  as  menacing  the  future  repose  of 
surrounding  nations.  The  first  idea  is  sup¬ 
posed  to  have  originated  with  Count  Arat- 
chief;  but  the  plan  was  imbodied  by  Alex¬ 
ander,  and  its  success  only  defeated  by  the 
ill  will  of  those  who  were  to  become  the  in¬ 
struments. 

The  following,  as  I  hear,  was  the  princi¬ 
ple  of  their  organization.  By  an  imperial 
ukase,  those  villages  which  were  inhabited 
by  peasants,  slaves  of  the  crown,  and  conse¬ 
quently  the  property  of  the  monarch,  were 
marked  out  as  military  colonies;  and  a  regis¬ 
ter  kept  of  the  name,  the  age,  the  property, 
and  family  of  each  householder.  Those  who 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


107 


were  above  fifty  years  of  age  were  selected 
as  masters  of  the  colonists;  to  each  were  al¬ 
lotted  'residences  built  on  the  same  plan. 
Each  master  receives  an  allotment  of  forty 
acres  of  land  to  his  own  use,  on  the  condi¬ 
tion  of  supporting  one  soldier,  his  family,  if 
he  has  one,  and  his  horse,  if  he  is  attached  to 
a  regiment  of  cavalry.  In  return,  the  sol¬ 
dier  is  bound,  when  not  engaged  in  military 
duty,  to  assist  him  in  the  culture  of  his  farm , 
and  time  is  allowed  for  this  purpose  during 
the  harvest  and  sowing  season;  but  at  pre¬ 
sent,  that  the  colonists  have  been  called  into 
actual  duty,  little  dependence  can  be  placed 
on  their  agricultural  services. 

When  a  new  generation  shall  have  arisen, 
equally  accustomed  from  their  youth  to  hus¬ 
bandry  and  arms,  the  plan  may  work  better 
than  it  hitherto  has  done.  The  commanding 
officer  of  the  district  selects  the  soldier  colo¬ 
nist,  and  places  him  with  his  family  under  the 
master,  who  is  himself  also  obliged  to  wear  a 
uniform  and  learn  the  exercise ;  selecting,  at 
the  same  time,  a  near  relation  to  be  his  own 
adjutant,  and,  in  case  of  his  death,  to  succeed 
him.  The  colonial  soldier  is  doomed  to  this 
military  fife  for  twenty-five  years,  dated  from 


108 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


his  register ;  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  is 
at  liberty  to  quit  the  service,  or  be  invalided. 

In  addition  to  this  levy  a  second  rank  is 
raised,  called  the  reserve,  which  is  drilled  in 
the  same  manner,  subject  to  the  same  duty, 
but  kept  to  replace  the  first,  in  case  of  death 
or  accident.  This  reserve  is  likewise,  in  its 
turn,  to  be  replaced  by  a  list  which  is  made 
out  of  resident  peasants,  who  may  also  be 
followed  by  children  marked  out  for  the 
same  destination.  These  residents,  as  well 
as  the  children,  when  they  are  above  eight 
years  old,  are  also  drilled  and  used  to  the 
uniform.  They  are  taught  to  read,  write, 
and  cast  accounts,  in  a  Lancastrian  school; 
to  which,  also,  the  women  are  admitted. 
This  is  the  gradation  of  substitutes  to  suc¬ 
ceed  each  other;  and,  if  the  system  should 
take  root  in  the  empire,  three-fourths  of  this 
population  belonging  to  the  crown  will  be¬ 
come  soldiers. 

The  peasants  have  hitherto  made  conside¬ 
rable  opposition,  which  has  been  put  down 
by  force :  but,  as  this  military  slavery  has 
not  the  same  attractions  for  them  as  the 
agricultural,  it  may  be  hoped  that  it  will  ul¬ 
timately  not  succeed.  It  must  be  remem- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


109 


bered  that  these  colonies  are  quite  indepen¬ 
dent  of  the  general  levies ;  the  one  are  serfs 
of  th^crown,  the  other  those  of  the  nobles. 
Every  recruit  so  levied  becomes  free,  and  is 
lost  for  ever  to  his  master :  the  road  even  to 
nobility  may  be  opened  to  him  by  very  dis¬ 
tinguished  military  services*  but  the  cases 
are  rare,  and  attended  with  little  advantage, 
as  he  never  himself  could  be  possessor  of  an 
estate  with  slaves.  This  law  attaches  to  all 
freed  men :  the  richest  merchant  in  Russia, 
though  completely  emancipated,  may  buy 
estates  without,  but  never  with  slaves;  and 
he  may  cultivate  them  with  free  labour,  if 
he  is  able  to  find  hands,  but  this  is  attended 
with  much  difficulty.  Deprived,  therefore, 
of  this  mode  of  investment,  their  chief  object 
is  to  purchase  houses  in  town,  which  pro¬ 
duce  them  a  high  rate  of  interest  for  their 
capitals,  and  very  much  enhance  the  price 
of  house-rent  in  Petersburg.  The  govern¬ 
ment,  it  is  said,  would  wish,  if  possible,  to 
abrogate  this  law,  which  operates  as  a  check 
on  commercial  transactions,  to  the  detriment 
of  the  public  revenue;  but  other  considera¬ 
tions  are  opposed  to  thq  alteration.  Those 
very  peasants  who  bear  the  idea  of  slavery 
to  the  nobles,  not  only  without  a  murmur 
VOL.  I. — 10 


110 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


but  in  many  instances  with  a  decided  pre¬ 
ference,  looking  at  this  state  of  things  as  the 
natural  arrangement  of  Providence;  but  they 
would  instantly  rebel  at  the  idea  of  having 
one  of  their  former  equals  for  a  master,  and 
would  rush  into  any  excesses  sooner  than 
submit  to  such  a  degradation. 

I  have  thus  tried  briefly  to  detail  the  out¬ 
lines  of  this  unnatural  attempt  to  combine 
two  occupations  so  widely  opposed  to  each 
other.  In  the  first  place,  so  great  an  inno¬ 
vation,  effected  by  military  coercion,  must 
be  the  source  of  many  abuses,  and  of  much 
violence  to  individuals;  in  the  next  place, 
an  experiment  of  this  contradictory  nature, 
which  transplants  a  peasant  from  his  home, 
in  order  to  place  a  sickle  in  one  hand  and  a 
musket  in  the  other,  seems  little  likely  to 
answer  in  either  shape.  The  rural  and  mi¬ 
litary  pursuits  seem  to  me  quite  incompati¬ 
ble  together.  To  pass  the  morning  at  the 
plough  and  the  evening  at  the  drill,  to  hurry 
daily  at  stated  hours  from  the  farm  to  the 
barrack,  to  be  occupied  alternately  in  raising 
food  for  the  support  of  life,  and  in  preparing 
means  for  the  destruction  of  it,  is,  to  say  the 
least,  an  incongruity  repulsive  to  common 
feeling  and  common  sense. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


Ill 


A  magnificent  dinner  was  given  yesterday 
to  the  Emperor  by  the  Count  Potoski,  to  ce¬ 
lebrate  the  following  event.  In  times  gone 
by,  this  family,  one  of  the  richest  in  Poland, 
had  made  a  present  to  their  government  of 
ten  pieces  of  cannon,  of  very  curious  work¬ 
manship,  with  their  arms  embossed  upon 
them.  The  little  train  of  artillery  was  after¬ 
wards  in  the  wars  of  that  period  taken  by 
the  Turks,  and  highly  valued  by  them :  the 
fate  of  war  has  just  placed  them  at  the  dis¬ 
posal  of  the  Emperor;  they  were  taken  by 
the  Russians  in  the  last  campaign,  and  one 
of  them  has  been  presented  by  his  order  to 
the  representative  of  the  Potoski  family  here. 
The  cannon  has  been  placed  as  an  historical 
ornament  in  his  largest  drawing-room;  to 
com.memorate  which  this  sumptuous  dinner 
has  been  given.  The  wags  of  Petersburg 
say  that  a  hall  would  have  been  more  appro¬ 
priate.  Puns,  indeed,  are  rather  in  favour 
here :  at  a  grand  ball  when  the  crowd  was, 
as  usual,  very  intent  to  force  a  way  into  the 
supper-room,  the  Grand-duke  Michael  ex¬ 
claimed,  Maintenant  on  sait  ce  que  c’est 
que  la  liberte  de  la  presse !” 


Yours  ever. 


112 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


s 


LETTER  X. 


Academy  of  Sciences. — Burial-place  of  the  Sovereigns. — Peter 
the  Great,  the  Nobility,  and  Priesthood. — The  City  exposed  to 
sudden  inundation. — The  Marble  Palace. — Population. — The 
Russian  Navy. — Military  power. — Policy  of  England  during 
the  war  between  Russia  and  Turkey. — Italian  Theatre. 


Petersburg,  1st  January,  1830. 
My  DEAR  - ,  ' 

I  MAY  begin  this  letter  by  wishing  you 
a  happy  new  year,  a  compliment  which 
would  be  premature  in  this  country, — as  the 
Russians,  who  are  a  century  behind  us  in 
moral  improvements,  are  only  twelve  days 
behind  us  in  the  calendar ;  that  is,  they  still 
preserve  the  old  style,  which  has  a  singular 
effect  when  I  read,  in  the  Petersburg  Ga¬ 
zette  of  the  19th  December,  extract  of  a  let¬ 
ter  from  Berlin,  dated  the  21st  of  the  same 
month. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR 


113 


Every  foreigner  who  comes  to  this  place 
should  visit  the  Academy  of  Sciences,  which 
is  the  most  extensive  and  curious  in  Europe. 
I  am  not  going  to  give  you  a  detail  of  its 
contents;  but  here,  I  believe,  are  to  be  seen 
the  forms  or  skeletons  of  every  animal,  fish, 
or  bird,  from  the  mammoth  to  the  smallest 
insect  which  ever  burst  into  life  since  the 
creation.  In  this  temple  of  natural  history 
there  is  a  vast  collection  of  minerals,  which 
Siberia  alone  was  rich  enough  to  supply: 
near  them  is  a  petrified  tree,  three  feet  in 
diameter ;  and  an  enormous  tortoise,  which 
has  been  conveyed  hither  on  a  fragment  of 
the  rock  with  which  time  had  identified  it. 
One  room  contains  the  anatomical  collection 
of  the  celebrated  Dutch  naturalist,  Ruysch, 
purchased  by  Peter  the  Great;  it  was,  at 
that  period,  the  most  considerable  in  Europe, 
but  is  here  only  the  7iucleus  of  the  present 
enormous  mass.  Peter,  during  his  reign,  gave 
orders  to  all,  even  the  most  distant  points  of 
his  empire,  that  every  caprice  of  nature  in 
the  human  formation  should  be  preserved, 
and  transmitted  to  this  academy;  rewards 
also  were  offered,  to  ensure  compliance;  and 
as  the  system  has  been  continued  by  his  suc- 
10^ 


114 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


cessors,  whose  dominions  have  since  been  so 
widely  extended,  some  idea  may  be  formed 
of  the  endless  variety  of  the  subjects. 

Another  compartment,  destined  to  the  re¬ 
ception  of  legitimate  monsters,  is  filled  with 
crocodiles,  dolphins,  whales,  sword-fishes,  &c. 
Near  the  door  of  this  room  is  the  stuffed  figure 
of  a  giant,  seven  feet  and  a  half  high,  well 
proportioned;  he  was  the  Heyduc  of  Peter 
the  Great,  and  came  from  little  Russia:  a 
dwarf  has  been  placed  by  his  side,  to  render 
the  contrast  more  striking.  As  all  rights  are 
comparative,  it  would  seem  that  the  rights 
of  a  despotic  sovereign  supersede  all  funeral 
rites.  This  dwarf  and  giant  have,  by  an  im¬ 
perial  mandate,  been  deprived  of  Christian 
burial,  that  their  bodies  may  furnish  a  lesson 
of  anatomy  to  the  Russian  professors.  There 
is  also  an  elephant  of  vast  dimensions,  mount¬ 
ed  by  his  Indian  conductor;  but  the  most  cu¬ 
rious  and  novel  object  in  the  whole  collection 
of  fossils  is  the  skeleton  of  the  mammoth, 
sole  remaining  victim  of  the  deluge.  This 
gigantic  animal  was  discovered  on  the  ice  of 
the  White  Sea  by  a  traveller;  its  head  is 
nearly  perfect,  and  armed  with  two  rows  of 
teeth  which  appeared  to  be  near  six  feet  in 
length:  the  mammoth  is  taller  than  the  ele- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


115 


phant;  and,  if  we  may  judge  by  the  frame, 
exceeds  him  in  bulk. 

The  academy,  grateful  to  its  founder,  pre¬ 
serves  his  effigy  in  wax,  as  large  as  life ;  it  is 
clothed  in  his  usual  dress,  and  seated  in  a 
chair :  his  favourite  English  horse,  and  the 
two  dogs  which  always  followed  his  steps, 
whether'  at  home  or  in  the  field,  are  stuffed 
with  straw,  and  shown  under  a  glass  case. 
The  country  still  seems  to  feel  a  great  debt 
of  gratitude  to  his  memory ;  and  the  battle  of 
Pultawa,  in  which  this  English  horse  is  al¬ 
ways  introduced,  forms  the  subject  of  many 
pictures  in  the  imperial  palaces. 

The  fortress,  which  is  situated  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  Neva,  nearly  opposite  to  the  Her¬ 
mitage,  contains  a  church,  which  is  the  bu¬ 
rial-place  of  the  sovereigns ;  the  other  branch¬ 
es  of  the  imperial  family  are  laid  in  the  mo¬ 
nastery  of  St.  Alexander  Newsky.  When 
you  are  introduced  into  the  vault,  you  see 
the  tombs  ranged  in  a  line,  at  some  distance 
from  the  wall;  each  covered  with  a  mantle 
of  gold  brocade,  to  which  is  attached  a  medal, 
with  the  resemblance  of  the  individual  de¬ 
ceased.  Here  was  the  corpse  of  Catherine 
placed,  next  to  that  of  Peter,  as  directed  by 
their  ill-fated  son :  that  of  Alexander  reposes 


116 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


between  his  mother,  the  Empress  Maria  Fe¬ 
dorovna,  and  his  consort  Elizabeth ;  all  three 
died  within  the  space  of  a  twelvemonth.  The 
vault  is  spacious  and  lofty,  but  plain  and  sim¬ 
ple,  without  any  pompous  inscriptions  or  es¬ 
cutcheons,  and  the  air  is  warmed  by  stoves 
to  prevent  the  damp.  Comprised  in  the  for¬ 
tress  is  the  imperial  mint,  and  the  state  pri¬ 
son,  in  which  some  of  the  mutinous  spirits 
who  headed  the  rebellious  troops  at  the  ac¬ 
cession  of  Nicholas  still  expiate  their  crimes; 
others  were  banished  to  Siberia,  and  live 
were  hanged  on  the  glacis  according  to  their 
sentence.  Hard  by  this  spot  is  shown  a 
wooden  building,  which  Peter  the  Great 
erected  for  his  own  accommodation  on  the 
banks  of  the  river,  before  this  great  city  was 
built:  it  may  be  about  twenty  feet  square, 
and  consists  of  three  small  rooms  fitted  up 
like  a  labourer’s  cabin :  in  one  is  a  small  ora¬ 
tory,  which  he  used  for  his  private  devotions ; 
and  a  lamp  is  now  kept  burning  day  and 
night  before  it,  in  commemoration  of  the 
owner.  A  boat  is  also  shown  which  was  the 
sole  work  of  his  hands,  and  does  credit  to  his 
education  at  Saardam.  In  this  humble  cot¬ 
tage  he  projected  all  his  plans  for  the  eleva¬ 
tion  of  this  vast  empire  out  of  the  crude  ma- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


117 


terials  which  then  composed  the  mass  of  the 
Russiai^)eople.  From  its  latticed  windows 
he  contemplated  the  site  which  he  had  se¬ 
lected  for  this  noble  city,  then  a  dreary 
marsh,  garnished  with  the  scanty  huts  of  a 
few  fishermen.  The  very  nature  of  the  soil 
seemed  to  defy  the  art  of  man  to  build  a  great 
capital  on  such  an  unstable  marshy  founda¬ 
tion,  but  his  genius  and  energy  surmounted 
every  obstacle.  His  was,  indeed,  a  genius 
which  could  embrace  every  object,  from  the 
lowest  to  the  highest,  within  its  grasp ;  which 
could  descend  to  the  manufacture  of  a  pin 
and  rise  to  the  elevation  of  a  capital,  the 
wonder  of  the  world.  He  foresaw  the  advan¬ 
tage  to  be  derived  from  its  maritime  position, 
which  must  afford  a  ready  communication 
with  the  heart  of  Europe;  while  the  old  capi¬ 
tal  of  Moscow  could  only  tend  to  keep  up 
Asiatic  recollections,  which  he  wished  to 
counteract.  His  persevering  spirit,  intent 
on  opening  the  door  of  civilization  to  his 
subjects,  proved  triumphant,  and  Petersburg 
was  built.  Could  he  have  dived  into  futu¬ 
rity  before  his  death,  and  witnessed  the  fruits 
of  his  own  genius,  nurtured  and  improved  by 
his  successors  with  so  much  care  and  wisdom, 
he  might  have  seen  the  grandeur  of  Ver- 


118 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


sailles,  which  struck  him  with  so  much  ad¬ 
miration  during  his  visit  to  France,  realized, 
if  not  surpassed,  on  the  banks  of  the  Neva. 
When  Peter  the  Great  came  to  the  throne, 
he  found  two  powerful  orders  in  the  state, 
whose  turbulent  spirit  and  arrogant  preten¬ 
sions,  inconsistent  with  all  his  views  of  im¬ 
provement,  it  became  essentially  necessary 
to  combat  and  repress.  I  allude  to  the  no¬ 
bility  and  the  priesthood.  With  this  view 
he  enacted  that  extraordinary  code  of  mili¬ 
tary  precedence  which  exists  at  the  present 
day. 

Establishing  a  new  rank,  which  emanated 
solely  from  the  throne,  and  superseded  all 
claims  of  title  and  descent,  Peter  at  once  re¬ 
duced  the  nobles  to  a  state  of  abject  depend- 
ance  upon  himself  A  scale  of  military  grades 
became  the  only  road  to  honours,  and  even 
the  civil  offices  in  the  state  were  only  attain¬ 
able  by  a  distinction  which  set  at  nought  all 
previous  feudal  rank  and  pretensions. 

The  reduction  of  the  hierarchy  was  achieved 
by  a  much  more  summary  blow.  It  was  the 
custom  in  Russia  on  all  great  public  occa¬ 
sions,  that  the  Czar  should  proclaim  his  sub¬ 
mission  to  the  Head  of  the  Church  before  his 
assembled  subjects,  by  holding  the  stirrup  of 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


119 


the  great  Archimandrite  when  he  mounted 
his  horse  to  lead  the  procession.  Peter  shook 
olf  this  degrading  subjection  by  a  practical 
allegory,  which  had  nearly  proved  as  fatal 
to  the  life,  as  it  did  to  the  rights,  of  the 
haughty  prelate.  He  one  day  gave  secret 
instructions  that  the  quiet  palfrey  of  the 
priest  should  be  replaced  by  the  most  vicious 
horse  in  his  own  stables.  Taking,  then,  his 
own  usual  submissive  position,  when  the 
Archimandrite  was  in  the  act  of  mounting, 
he  privately  applied  the  rowel  of  a  spur  to 
the  animal’s  flank,  who  instantly  reared  and 
threw  the  affrighted  prelate  to  the  ground. 
At  this  moment  Peter  vaulted  into  the  va¬ 
cant  saddle,  and,  marching  on  in  triumph, 
proclaimed  himself  the  head  of  the  church ; 
a  title  which  has  never  since  been  disputed. 

Wonderful  as  the  construction  of  this  city 
has  been, — in  defiance  even  of  the  laws  of 
Nature, — its  foundation,  established  upon 
massive  piles,  and  by  artificial  drainage, 
may  still  be  considered  as  precarious.  Placed 
in  a  marshy  bottom,  surrounded  and  inter¬ 
sected  by  a  great  river  and  its  branches, 
which  form  the  canals  of  F  on  tanka,  Moika, 
and  St.  Catherine,  this  vast  city  may  always 
be  exposed  to  inundation,  on  any  sudden 


120 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


thaw,  or  rush  of  waters  from  the  Baltic. 
That  which  took  place  a  few  years  ago,  cre¬ 
ated  a  dreadful  scene  of  havoc  and  desolation 
both  here  and  at  Cronstadt;  many  buildings 
were  destroyed,  many  lives  lost,  and  ships  of 
heavy  burden  in  the  harbour  were  torn  from 
their  moorings  and  thrown  upon  the  land. 

It  is  every  where  asserted,  that,  if  the  wind 
had  remained  only  six  hours  longer  in  the 
same  quarter,  and  with  the  same  violence, 
the  artificial  foundations  of  the  city  must 
have  given  way,  and  all  these  splendid  struc¬ 
tures  would  have  been  overwhelmed  in  one 
general  wreck  and  destruction.  There  have 
been  several  instances  of  this  nature  before, 
but  none  so  alarming  as  the  last.  That 
which  occurred  in  September,  1777,  was 
fearful  to  behold,  but  of  short  duration ;  it 
was  thus  described  in  the  Petersburg  Jour¬ 
nal  of  that  date; — In  the  evening  of  the 
9th,  a  violent  storm  of  wind,  blowing  at  first 
south-west,  and  afterwards  west,  raised  the 
Neva  and  its  branches  to  so  great  a  height, 
that  at  five  in  the  morning  the  waters  poured 
over  their  banks,  and  suddenly  overflowed 
the  town.  The  torrent  rose  in  several  streets 
to  the  depth  of  four  feet  and  a-half,  and  over¬ 
turned  by  its  rapidity  various  buildings  and 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


121 


bridges.  About  seven,  the  wind  shifting  to 
north-west,  the  flood  fell  as  suddenly;  and 
at  mid-day  most  of  the  streets,  which  in  the 
morning  could  only  be  passed  in  boats,  be¬ 
came  dry.  For  a  short  time  the  river  rose 
ten  feet  seven  inches  above  its  ordinary 
level.” 

The  highest  floods  have  generally  hap¬ 
pened  in  one  of  the  last  four  months  of  the 
year :  the  most  serious  effects  are  not  pro¬ 
duced  by  rain  or  snow ;  a  swell  is  sometimes 
occasioned  by  the  accumulation  of  masses  of 
ice  at  the  mouth  of  the  Neva;  but  the  prin¬ 
cipal  causes  of  ^  the  overflowing  of  that  river 
are  derived  from  violent  storms  and  winds 
blowing  south-west  or  north-west,  which 
usually  prevail  at  the  autumnal  equinox, 
and  the  height  of  the  waters  is  always  in 
proportion  to  the  violence  and  duration  of 
those  winds.  In  short,  the  circumstances 
most  liable  to  promote  the  overflowings  of 
the  Neva,  are,  when  at  the  autumnal  equi¬ 
nox,  three  or  four  days  after  the  full  or  new 
moon,  a  violent  north-west  wind  drives 
the  waters  of  the  Northern  Ocean  during 
the  influx  of  the  tide  into  the  Baltic,  and  is 
accompanied  or  instantly  succeeded  by  a 
VOL.  I. - 11 


122 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 

south-west  wind  in  that  sea  and  the  Gulf  of 
Finland. 

You  may  thus  see  that  Petersburg,  with 
all  its  grandeur,  is  not  the  most  solid  city  in 
Europe.  On  walking  back  over  the  Neva, 
which  is  now  frozen  as  firm  as  a  rock,  the 
marble  palace  is  a  striking  object,  from  its 
sombre  appearance,  amidst  the  bright  stuccoed 
mansions  which  surround  it :  the  solid  value 
of  this  structure  is  overlooked,  when  eclipsed 
by  its  more  gaudy  neighbours.  It  was  built 
by  Catherine,  is  now  the  property  of  Con¬ 
stantine,  and  is  consequently  unoccupied. 
Near  it  is  the  hotel  of  the  Prince  Gargarin, 
(not  the  director  of  the  theatres,)  on  the  quay 
which  bears  his  name.  He  lives  retired  from 
the  w’orld,  but  surrounded  by  those,  whose 
hdelity  is,  at  least,  more  proverbial  than  that  of 
man;  his  apartments  are  filled  with  a  great 
variety  of  favourite  dogs.*  On  this  quay 
are  also  the  hotels  of  the  French  embassy, 

*  Person,  at  least,  was  of  this  opinion,  as  may  be  proved  by  his 
celebrated  Charade  on  the  word  “  curfew.” 

“My  first,  tho’  the  best  and  most  faithful  of  friends. 

You  ungratefully  name  as  the  wretch  you  despise; 

My  second  (I  speak  it  with  grief)  comprehends 

All  the  good  and  the  great,  and  the  learn’d,  and  the  wise. 

Of  my  whole  I  have  little  or  nothing  to  say, 

Except  that  it  marks  the  departure  of  day.” 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAH. 


128 


the  Litta,  Gurieff,  Woronzow,  Zuvadoffsky, 
and  Wolkonsky  families.  The  streets  in  ge¬ 
neral  are  broad  and  spacious;  but,  with  the 
exception  of  two  or  three  great  thoroughfares, 
an  air  of  solitude  prevails  throughout:  the 
outline  of  this  town  has  been  traced  on  such 
a  gigantic  design,  that  the  population  is  in¬ 
sufficient  to  fill  it  up.  The  number  of  in¬ 
habitants  may  be  reckoned  at  between  four 
and  five  hundred  thousand,  including  the 
troops  which  form  the  garrison ;  but  the  lo¬ 
cality  is  so  extensive,  that  double  that  num¬ 
ber  might  circulate  through  the  streets  with 
the  greatest  ease  and  facility;  the  consequence 
of  which  is,  that  many  quarters  of  the  town 
look  as  if  they  were  quite  uninhabited. 

I  met  the  other  day  with  an  officer  of  the 
Guards,  whose  language  seemed  to  breathe 
defiance  to  all  the  world,  and  particularly  to 
English  maritime  power,  wffiich  was  the  ob¬ 
ject  of  his  peculiar  hatred,  notwithstanding 
our  combined  fleets  have  been  so  lately  en¬ 
gaged  in  the  same  cause  at  Navarin,  He 
took  infinite  pains  to  prove  that  Admiral 
Heydon  w^as  foremost  in  the  action,  and 
showed  as  much  skill  as  the  French  and 
English  commanders;  which,  though  not 
quite  corroborated  by  the  public  accounts,  as 


124 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


I  did  not  feel  a  spark  of  national  jealousy  on 
the  subject,  I  had  no  wish  to  dispute.  Their 
late  successes  in  the  East  have  not  tended 'to 
diminish  this  feeling  on  their  side,  and  the 
opening  of  the  Black  Sea  gives  fresh  scope 
to  their  hopes  of  a  naval  predominance  in 
that  quarter.  They  are  building  ships,  for 
which  their  country  produces  every  requisite 
material ;  and,  if  the  language  of  individuals 
may  be  any  clew  to  the  intentions  of  their 
government,  (though  less  here  than  in  any 
other  country,)  it  would  seem  that  they  are 
preparing  to  take  a  high  hand  in  the  affairs 
of  Turkey. 

The  truth  is,  that  their  navy  cannot  be  an 
object  of  jealousy  to  us  in  its  present  state : 
no  complaint  is  to  be  made  of  their  ships, 
which  are  undeniably  good,  if  they  were  well 
manned;  but  how  can  they  pretend  to  have 
good  sailors?  The  Russian  fleet  is  laid  up 
in  winter  quarters  during  eight  months  of 
the  year,  under  the  forts  of  Cronstadt;  and 
having  no  other  field  for  nautical  manoeuvres 
than  two  confined  seas,  which  are  mere  lakes 
when  compared  with  the  great  ocean,— I  mean, 
the  Baltic  and  the  Black  Sea, — how  slow 
must  be  their  progress  in  forming  experienced 
seamen ! 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


125 


The  present  generation  of  the  Russian 
crews  pinst  become  superannuated  and  worn- 
out  before  they  can  acquire  half  the  expe¬ 
rience  of  a  common  English  sailor  who  is 
still  in  the  prime  of  life.  Many  English  of¬ 
ficers  have,  from  time  to  time,  entered  the 
Russian  service,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to 
suppose  that  their  assistance  may  have  con¬ 
tributed  to  its  present  improved  state;  but 
when  I  hear  the  Russians  boast  of  their 
naval  preponderance,  I  rather  look  upon  it  as 
an  assertion  of  what  they  wish  to  be,  than 
what  they  are,  or  are  likely  to  be,  when  op¬ 
posed  to  us.^ 


*  Seven  years  have  passed  since  these  remarks  were  written, 
and  Russia  has  not  been  idle  in  the  interval.  Among  other  im, 
provements,  her  navy  has  made  considerable  progress  both  in 
tactics  and  in  force.  Her  fleet  now,  without  counting  that  in  the 
Black  Sea,  amounts,  according  to  a  late  report  made  by  an  Eng- 
glish  officer,  to  twenty-six  sail  of  the  line,  besides  frigates,  &.c., 
victualled,  and  manned  with  thirty  thousand  seamen.  On  the  other 
hand,  what  has  England  done  to  maintain  her  wonted  superiority 
on  the  seas  ?  Ruled  by  a  party  which  can  only  remain  in  power 
by  truckling  to  popular  clamour,  whether  it  be  for  theoretical 
rights  or  a  pitiful  economy,  she  has,  under  the  latter  plea,  allowed 
this  great  bulwark  of  the  nation  to  dwindle  into  a  state  of  reduce 
tion  which  no  circumstances  can  justify:  then,  with  an  inconsis* 
tency  worthy  of  its  system,  this  same  government,  which  culpably 
neglects  our  means  of  repelling  aggression,  studiously  alarms  and 
excites  the  public  apprehension  with  fears  of  Russian  ambition  and 
Russian  aggrandizement,  while  it  tamely  submits  to  the  Treaty  of 
Unskiarskeleski  in  neglect  of  our  maritime  rights,  and,  in  the  case 
11* 


126 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


With  regard  to  the  military  power  of  Rus¬ 
sia,  her  armies  have  been  seriously  exhausted 
by  the  late  campaigns.  '  Their  ranks  were 
thinned  by  the  plague  in  Wallachia  to  such 
an  extent,  that  an  officer  told  me  he  could 
have  fancied  himself  in  the  fields  of  Elysium, 
or  rather,  he  might  have  said,  of  Tartarus, 
from  the  spectres  and  shadows  by  which  he 
was  surrounded. 

'  It  would  seem  as  if  the  Turks  had  really 
adopted  the  means  of  defence  pointed  out  by 
General  Sebastian!  to  the  Sultan  in  1804, — 
“  de  rnettre  les  pestiferes  en  avanty’’ — and  had 
declined  every  other  mode  of  resistance,  as 
their  apathy  and  inactivity  were  unaccount¬ 
able.  While  the  Russians  were  dying  daily 
by  this  fatal  disease,  the  Turks  were  in  per¬ 
fect  health;  and,  while  the  army  was  be¬ 
sieging  Shumla,  its  progress  was  arrested 
more  by  the  sickness  in  its  own  ranks,  than 
by  the  resistance  of  the  garrison.  Under 
such  circumstances  the  campaign  might  have 
been  interminable.  At  length  the  mortality 


of  the  Vixen,  compromises  our  national  dignity  in  a  mueh  more 
serious  manner.  If  in  1830,  our  maritime  superiority  over  Russia 
was  undeniable,  we  have  both  laboured  since;  she  by  increasing 
her  force,  and  we  by  decreasing  ours,  to  bring  them  much  nearer 
to  an  equality. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


127 


arrived  at  such  a  pitch,  that  it  threatened 
the  entire  annihilation  of  the  invading  army ; 
and  General  Diebitsch  received  orders  from 
Petersburg  to  push  forward,  coute  qui  coute, 
with  his  advanced  guard,  force  the  Balkan, 
and  march  direct  on  ConstantinoplCj  leaving 
in  his  rear  the  hospitals  filled  with  the  sick 
and  the  dying. 

Out  of  the  wreck  of  this  once  numerous 
and  powerful  expedition,  the  general  was 
unable,  in  the  first  instance,  to  collect  more 
than  sixteen  thousand  men  for  this  purpose; 
and  had  the  Turks  made  any  opposition  to 
their  march, — had  they  even  dried  up  the 
fountains  on  the  Balkan,  of  which  there  are 
only  ten  during  the  whole  route, — they 
mig^ht  have  defeated  this  last  adventurous 
object  of  the  campaign. 

There  are  now  not  more  than  twelve  thou¬ 
sand  men  at  Adrianople,  halted  there  with 
the  prize  in  view,  and  unable  to  obtain  it. 
The  Pacha  of  Scutari  wdth  his  troops,  had 
he  continued  the  war,  might  have  changed 
the  face  of  affairs,  and  kept  the  Russians  at 
bay ;  then,  if  a  second  campaign  had  become 
inevitable,  fresh  re-enforcements  would  have 
been  required,  and  Russia  would  now  have 


128 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


no  resource  but  the  Polish  army,  which  for 
obvious  reasons  she  dare  not  move. 

The  policy  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington’s 
government  on  this  occasion  has  been,  and 
unjustly,  accused  of  too  much  forbearance  in 
permitting  silently  this  aggression  on  Tur-. 
key ;  but  his  eagle  eye  probably  foresaw  how 
little  this  nation  would  gain  by  the  conflict, 
when  compared  with  the  expensive  cost,  both 
in  men  and  money,  which  it  would  entail 
upon  her.  As  Dr.  Franklin  would  have 
said,  she  has  paid  dear  for  her  whistle ;  and, 
as  vanity  has  been  the  principal  gainer,  we 
may  allow  a  reasonable  share  of  vapouring 
to  balance  the  loss  on  the  transaction.  '  Of 
this  the  Russians  certainly  do  avail  them¬ 
selves  at  present  to  a  great  extent;  but  com¬ 
mon  justice  must  allow  that  their  noble  re¬ 
sistance  to  the  designs  of  Napoleon,  and  their 
conduct  during  the  campaigns  of  1813  and 
1814,  give  them  every  claim  to  military 
glory :  but  it  remains  to  be  proved  whether 
dreams  of  farther  conquest  can  be  realized. 
If  they  would  seriously  set  about  the  task  of 
moral  improvement,  and  cultivate  the  arts  of 
peace,  they  would  find  it  a  surer  means  of 
impressing  their  neighbours  in  Europe  with 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAF.  l29 

a  respect  for  their  power,  than  can  ever  be 
effected: by  their  swords  and  bayonets.-^ 

I  w^ent  to  see  Otello  at  the  Italian  theatre : 
the  prima  donna,  Madame  Schoberlechner, 
who  acted  the  part  of  Desdemona,  is  a  Rus¬ 
sian  ;  she  has  a  good  voice,  and  sings  with 
taste,  far  better  than  the  Italian  Otello,  Nico- 
lini,  who  is  a  very  poor  petformer  both  as 
singer  and  actor.  In  the  next  box  was  Ma¬ 
dame  Zavadoffska,  who  is  reckoned  the  hand¬ 
somest  woman  in  Petersburg ;  which  is  no 
compliment  to  her,  as  she  might  claim  the 
same  distinction  in  any  other  country.  I 
concluded  my  last  letter  with  a  Russian  pun, 
and  am  now  tempted  to  send  you  another. 

M.  de  Narischkin  (Demitri)  was  one  day 
at  court,  when  the  conversation  turned  upon 
the  war  which  Russia  had  then  just  declared 
against  Turkey.  The  Empress-mother  was 
very  animated  on  the  subject,  but  frequently 
interrupted  by  the  noise  of  a  door,  which 
creaked  upon  its  hinges,  she  inquired  of  Mr. 
de  N - what  it  could  be?  He  immediate¬ 

ly  replied,  “  C’est  Porte,  qui^demande  des 
secours  a  la  GreceP 

'  .  Adieu ! 


*  Much  has  since  been  accomplished  by  Russia  in  the  cultiva. 
tion  of  these  arts  of  peace.  A  farther  note  will  touch  more  at 
large  on  this  subject. 


130 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


LETTER  XL 

<.x)mparIson  between  the  Labouring  Classes  of  England  and  Rus¬ 
sia. — Parochial  division  of  Russia. — Aristocratic  Associations. 
— Ri^^hts  of  Citizenship. — Internal  organization  of  the  country. 
— Policy  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas. — Causes  of  the  impoverish¬ 
ment  of  the  Nobility,  and  the  recent  change  for  the  better  in 
their^condition. 

Petersburg,  9th  January,  1830. 

My  dear - , 

The  few  English  papers  which  the  Cen¬ 
sure  here  permits  us  to  receive,  teem  with 
accounts  of  increasing  privation  and  distress 
among  the  lower  orders  with  you.  If  a  com¬ 
parison  were  drawn  between  the  respective 
situation  of  these  classes  in  the  two  countries, 
I  mean  as  to  physical  w^ants  and  gratifica¬ 
tions,  how  much  would  the  scale  lean  towards 
this  population  of  illiterate  slaves!  The 
Englishman  may  boast  his  liberty,  but  will 
it  procure  him  a  dinner? — will  it  clothe  his 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


131 


family? — will  it  give  him  employment  when 
in  health? — or,  when  sick,  will  it  keep  him 
from  the  poor-house  or  the  parish? 

The  Russian  hugs  his  slavery ;  he  rejects 
the  airy  boon  of  liberty,  and  clings  to  more 
substantial  blessings.  He  lives  indeed  with¬ 
out  care  for  the  present,  or  anxiety  for  the  fu¬ 
ture.  The  whole  responsibility  of  his  existence 
rests  with  his  lord;  if  he  owes  not  this  to  a 
sentiment  of  humanity,  he  claims  it  by  the 
stronger  tie  of  interest,  which  identifies  him 
with  his  seigneur  as  part  and  parcel  of  his 
property  and  wealth.  If  the  seasons  are  un¬ 
favourable,  if  the  harvests  fail,  they  entail  no 
scarcity  on  him,  no  dread  of  meeting  the 
tax-gatherer  of  still  harsher  landlord;  his 
seigneur  bears  the  loss,  and  will  even  incur 
debts  to  maintain  his  population  for  his  orvn 
interest.  Should  even  that  motive  not  be 
sufficiently  cogent,  a'  unkase  of  the  Empress 
Catherine,  dated  4th  August  in  1782,  strictly 
enforces  it.  If  he  is  sick,  medicines  are  pro¬ 
vided  from  the  same  source ;  but  the  general 
cure  for  all  their  ailments  is  the  vapour  bath,' 
which  operates  its  effect  in  twenty-four 
hours,  and  for  which  there  is  an  establish¬ 
ment  in  every  village.  The  labour  of  culti¬ 
vation  is  light,  and  the  soil  broken  with  little 
exertion ;  in  great  part  of  the  empire  manure 


132 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


is  not  required,  as  the  snow,  which  covers 
the  earth  during  six  months  of  the  year,  is 
of  itself  a  source  of  fertility.  That  Provi¬ 
dence,  which  dispenses  order  and  regularity 
in  all  its  works,  which  adapts  every  situation 
to  existing  circumstances,  has  arranged  the 
vegetation  in  this  unfavourable  climate  with 
its  usual  beneficence.  No  sooner  have  the 
icy  bonds,  by  which  the  soil  has  been 
bound  for  so  many  months,  begun  to  dissolve ; 
no  sooner  have  the  cheering  rays  of  the  sun 
made  their  appearance,  than  the  process  of 
vegetation  takes  a  magic  start.  The  whole 
system  of  agriculture  for  the  year  is  com¬ 
pleted  in  four  months;  as  October  generally 
brings  the  return  of  winter,*  when  labour 
must  cease.  Many  alleviations  have  taken 
place  of  late  years  in  the  state  of  these  pea¬ 
sants,  which  did  not  exist  formerly.  The 
sale  of  slaves  without  the  land  is  forbidden  to 
the  master  under  pain  of  confiscation ;  they 
are  protected  from  the  imposition  of  extra  la¬ 
bour  for  his  benefit ;  those  who  are  once  free 
can  never  return  to  a  state  of  slavery  under 
another  master,  and  have  the  right  of  redeem¬ 
ing  their  wives  from  servitude  on  payment 
of  a  sum  of  ten  silver  roubles;  they  may  en¬ 
gage  in  commercial  enterprises,  even  in  the 
most  distant  parts  of  the  empire,  if  furnished 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


133 


with  a  passport  from  their  lord ;  and  many  of 
them  become  possessed  of  large  property;  bnt 
they  are  not  the  less  mongiks,  or  slaves,  and 
pay  a  large  retribution  yearly  to  their  lord  in 
the  shape  of  an  dhrok. 

The  same  is  the  case  with  those  who  enter 
into  handicraft  trades :  they  pay  an  annual 
rent  according  to  their  gains;  in  some  in¬ 
stances  a  moderate  sum,  which  enables  them 
to  economize,  and  eventually  procure  for 
themselves  not  only  independence,  but  liber¬ 
ty  ;  in  others,  if  their  masters  are  rapacious, 
a  more  exorbitant  demand  is  made :  then,  if 
they  conceive  it  to  be  unjust  or  intolerable, 
they  have  been  known  to  give  up  all  their 
prospects  of  future  advantage,  and  return 
to  the  glebe  as  common  labourers  on  the 
estate.  All  here  are  divided  into  the  two 
classes  of  noble  and  slave,  except  those  who 
have  ransomed  themselves,  or  been  enfran¬ 
chised  by  the  Emperor.  The  slaves  are  at¬ 
tached  to  the  soil,  and  therefore  the  property 
of  those  who  own  it.  One  of  the  favourite 
projects  of  Alexander  was  to  do  away  gradu 
ally  with  this  debasing  system,  and,  by  en¬ 
franchising  the  Russian  peasant,  to  civilize 
and  improve  his  moral  position.  It  is  hardly 
credible,  but  not  the  less  true,  that  one  of  the 
VOL.  I. — 12 


134 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


chief  difficulties  which  the  Emperor  encoun¬ 
tered  was  from  the  peasants  themselves;  the 
next  was,  naturally  enough,  from  the  lords. 
Alexander  wished  to  establish  the  liberty  of 
the  serf  by  continuing  him  on  the  land  as  a 
tenant,  subject  to  the  payment  of  an  annual 
tribute  to  the  owner.  This  he  thought  would 
be  equally  satisfactory  to  both  parties,  where¬ 
as  it  only  produced  equal  discontent  on  both 
sides.  The  peasant,  who  knew  little  of  the 
value  of  liberty,  but  was  fully  impressed 
with  the  value  of  the  land,  at  once  declined 
the  boon  of  the  one,  unless  the  other  were 
added  to  it;  while  the  landlord,  on  his  side, 
was  decidedly  opposed  to  any  infringement 
on  his  rights,  much  less  on  his  property. 

The  proposal  was  combated  with  much 
virulence,  and  engendered  a  feeling  of  hos¬ 
tility  against  the  author  which  he  little  de¬ 
served  :  it  still  remains  in  abeyance;  but  both 
classes  must  come  to  a  sounder  and  more  en¬ 
lightened  view  of  the  subject  before  it  can  be 
practicable  in  this  country.^  In  the  mean 

*  The  greater  part  of  these  serfs  refuse  their  liberty  on  a  calcu¬ 
lation,  which  shows  their  natural  bias  to  slavery.  They  contend 
that  by  their  enfranchisement  they  would  lose  a  patron  and  pro¬ 
tector,  whose  weight  and  influence  might  still  be  very  necessary 
to  them  in  the  present  state  of  the  'country. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


135 


time,  the  monarchy,  placed  between  an  aris¬ 
tocracy  jealous  of  its  rights  even  to  insubor¬ 
dination,  and  a  commonalty  averse  to  liberty, 
except  coupled  with  spoliation,  is  seated  on 
a  mine  of  revolutions,  which  at  any  time  may 
explode  and  produce  incalculable  mischiefs 
It  was  the  conviction  of  this  awful  situa¬ 
tion,  made  but  too  apparent  by  the  mutiny 
on  the  accession  of  Nicholas,  which  decided 
the  w^ar  with  Turkey  last  year, — it  was  the 


*  These  remarks  are  still  applicable  to  the  present  moment. 
Count  GuriefF  was  anxious  to  try  the  new  system  of  letting  his 
lands  to  free  men,  in  hopes  of  improving  his  revenues.  He  offered 
first  to  his  serfs  to  sell  them  their  liberty;  then  to  give  it  them 
gratis :  in  both  instances  he  met  with  a  decided  refusal.  The  pea¬ 
sants  demanded  that  with  their  liberty  he  should  also  give  the 
land,  which  they  had  cultivated  from  father  to  son,  and  had  been 
accustomed  to  regard  as  their  own  property ;  it  is  needless  to  say 
that  the  negotiation  fell  to  the  ground.  But  here  seems  to  be  one 
of  the  great  obstacles  to  the  project  of  enfranchising  the  Russian 
peasantry;  and  yet  it  would  appear  necessary  that  this  operation 
should  take  place,  before  ideas  of  natural  independence  are  im¬ 
planted  in  their  minds,  and  they  themselves  feel  their  right  to  be 
free.  In  such  a  case,  it  is  but  too.  apparent  that  the  freedom 
which  they  would  extort  from  their  masters  might  be  coupled 
with  the  spoliation  of  their  property.  The  advance  of  liberal  ideas 
in  Russia  must  always  be  attended  with  fear  and  apprehension. 
Where  a  constitution  is  so  vicious  in  its  origin,  great  caution 
must  be  used  in  amending  the  defects;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  as 
education  is  making  rapid  strides  in  the  country,  there  is  an 
equal  risk  that  the  spread  of  knowledge  may  open  the  eyes  of  the 
people  prematurely,  and  excite  them  to  anticipate  the  tardy  re- 
form  projected  by  their  rulers. 


136 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


hope  that  by  ■uniting  under  one  common 
standard  of  the  Cross  both  the  rebellious  boy- 
ard  and  the  enslaved  serf,  against  the  ene¬ 
mies  and  oppressors  of  the  Greek  church,  a 
new  and  religious  impulse  might  be  given  to 
their  excited  feelings,  and  the  seeds  of  civil 
discord  be,  at  least  for  the  present,  repressed. 
The  Avar  is  terminated ;  the  army  has  been 
severely  chastened,  but  put  in  good  humour 
by  the  laurels  it  has  won;  the  Emperor  is 
popular,  but  feared  and  respected ;  the  sur¬ 
face  every  where  appears  to  be  tranquil ;  and 
it  may  therefore  be  hoped  that,  under  the 
present  energetic  ruler,  the  late  restless  spi¬ 
rit  of  insurrection  may  be  tamed  and  allayed. 
To  return  to  the  slaves.  As  compared  with 
our  English  peasantry,  the  great  mass  of 
them  may  be  said  to  enjoy  a  greater  share  of 
physical  comforts  than  with  us;  they  are, 
perhaps,  treated  like  valuable  animals ;  and, 
I  believe,  many  an  English  pauper  in  his 
time  has  envied  the  fate  of  a  pampered  horse 
or  a  favourite  lap-dog.  The  result  is,  that, 
while  beggars  abound  in  other  countries,  none 
are  seen  here ;  each  mougik  has  a  master,  con¬ 
sequently  a  home. 

The  soldiers  (except  those  from  the  mili¬ 
tary  colonies,  who  belong  to  the  sovereign,) 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


137 


are  levied  generally  from  all  estates  by  a 
ukase  from  the  Emperor;  and  every  con¬ 
scription  of  this  nature  is  so  much  taken 
from  the  pockets  of  the  nobles :  this  of  itself 
would  form  some  obstacle  to  a  war  of  aggres¬ 
sion,  if  not  undertaken  for  a  popular  object, 
and,  in  proportion  as  civilization  advances, 
may  prove  a  check  to  the  ambition  of  future 
princes. 

The  peasants  of  the  crown^  have- superior 
advantages  to  the  rest;  they  are  equally  mou- 
giks,  but  they  really  possess  and  enjoy  all  the 
advantages  of  the  land  on  which  they  live, — 
with  this  reserve,  of  course,  that  they  cannot 
sell  it,  or  use  any  overt  act  of  ownership. 
They  are  subject  to  the  inspection  of  over¬ 
seers,  as  in  England,  belonging  to  the  com¬ 
mune  or  parish ;  and  pay  an  ohi'ok,  or  tribute 
in  money,  which  differs  according  to  the  na¬ 
ture  of  the  soil:  in  some  governments  it  is 
three  paper  roubles  per  head,  in  others  only 
two  and  a-half. 

In  every  parish  the  priests  are  enjoined  to 
maintain  schools  for  the  children  from  six  to 
ten  years  old :  the  father  of  a  child  who  dis- 


*  The  peasants  of  the  Crown  amount  in  number,  according  to 
the  last  statement  of  the  Minister  of  Finance,  to  21,463,933  indi¬ 
vidual  of  both  sexes. 


12^ 


138 


CITY  OF  THE  CZA.Il. 


tinguishes  himself  by  application  and  intelli¬ 
gence;  has  a  claim  for  certain  diminutions  in 
his  tribute,  or  in  his  manual  labour. 

A  Russian  parish  is  a  little  community, 
governed  by  its  own  members  chosen  for  the 
purpose.  They  keep,  an  exact  account  of  all 
the  serfs  on  the  estate  of  the  lord;  they  por¬ 
tion  out  the  land  for  a  term  of  three  years ; 
they  settle  with  his  steward  the  amount  of 
tribute  to  be  paid  to  him  per  head,  and  su¬ 
perintend  the  collection;  they  advance  the 
payment  of  the  ohrok  in  a  gross  sum,  and  are 
answerable  for  the  defaulters;  they  have  a 
reserve  fund  for  these  purposes,  and  enjoy  a 
sort  of  local  influence  and  independence  be¬ 
fitted  to  their  situation.  On  observing  the 
union  and  order  of  these  little  associations,  it 
may  give  rise  to  some  serious  reflections  for 
the  future;  more  particularly  when  it  is  con¬ 
sidered  that  the  number  of  these  serfs  com¬ 
prises  six-sevenths  of  the  whole  common  po¬ 
pulation. 

In  opposition  to  these  diminutive  republics, 
which  exist  all  over  Russia,  may  be  placed 
the  aristocratic  associations,  which,  though 
less  numerous,  are  also  governed  by  an  elec¬ 
tive  power.  Every  three  years  the  nobility 
of  each  district  or  government  assembles  by 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


139 


right  in  order  to  elect  the  functionaries,  whom 
they  ap  privileged  to  appoint,  and  to  listen 
to  the  remonstrances  or  demands  made  upon 
them  by  the  governor,  who  is  nominated  by 
the  crown.  This  governor  can  only  make 
known  his  intentions  in  writing;  he  has  no 
right  to  intrude  into  the  assembly  of  the  no¬ 
bles,  or  disturb  their  deliberations;  while 
they,  on  the  other  hand,  are  empowered  to 
express  their  objections  to  him  in  person,  to 
make  representations  direct  to  the  minister 
of  the  interior,  or  even  to  send  deputies  to  the 
senate  and  the  Emperor.  ‘These  assemblies 
are  held  in  a  building  specially  destined  for 
that  purpose  in  the  chief  town  of  each  go¬ 
vernment.  They  are  presided  by  a  marshal 
of  their  own  order,  selected  every  three  years 
by  the  governor  of  the  province  out  of  two 
candidates  chosen  among  themselves.  In  or¬ 
der  to  possess  a  vote  in  this  assembly,  it  is 
necessary  to  have  an  estate  in  that  govern-^ 
ment,  or  to  be  an  officer  of  superior  rank  in 
the  army,  which  is  a  general  qualification  for 
all  preferment.  The  other  functions  of  these 
assemblies  consist  in  preserving  the  rights 
and  immunities  of  their  order  from  any  in¬ 
fringement. 

A  noble  cannot  lose  his  caste  unless  he  be 


140 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


found  guilty  of  high  treason,  murder,  robbe¬ 
ry,  or  forgery ;  and  this  by  a  sentence  of  his 
peers,  from  which  an  appeal  is  open  to  the 
senate,  and  from  the  senate  to  the  Emperor. 
A  noble  may  enter  into  the  service  of  a  fo¬ 
reign  power ;  but,  on  the  first  intimation  from 
his  government  that  his  services  are  required 
at  home,  he  must  obey  the  injunction.  Every 
man  of  property  absent  abroad  must  appear 
every  five  years  in  Russia  under  pain  of  con¬ 
fiscation  of  his  goods. 

A  noble  may  quit  the  service,  both  civil 
and  military,  when  it  pleases  him  so  to  do. 
The  nobility  of  each  government  has  the 
right  to  present  candidates  for  all  the  civil 
employments.  In  this  view,  the  nobles  ca¬ 
pable  of  service,  and  who  are  qualified  by 
rank,  are  invited  every  three  years  by  the 
higher  functionaries  to  make  known  their 
pretensions.  A  meeting  of  the  assembly 
then  takes  place  to  decide  by  ballot  the  se¬ 
lection,  and  the  names  of  those  who  obtain 
the  majority  of  voices  are  forwarded  by  the 
civil  authorities  to  the  central  government  at 
Petersburg,  This  list  of  candidates  is  pre¬ 
sented  to  the  Emperor  and  to  the  senate, 
with  a  detailed  account  of  the  nature  of  their 
demands,  their  age  in  the  service,  and  the 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


141 


number  of  votes  they  had  obtained  in  the  as¬ 
sembly.  No  one  can  be  placed  in  a  situation 
beneath  his  rank ;  and  the  nobles  who  have 
no  rank  in  the  classes,  are  placed  as  simple 
clerks  in  the  different  offices. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  towns,  who  have 
the  rights  of  citizenship,  assemble  also  every 
three  years,  by  order  of  the  governor-general, 
for  the  purpose  of  electing  a  burgomaster  and 
the  elders,  and  of  presenting  petitions  to  the 
government.  No  one  can  be  an  elector,  or 
himself  eligible  for  these  situations,  unless 
he  is  twenty-five  years  old,  and  pays  taxes  to 
the  amount  of  fifty  roubles.  The  other  citi¬ 
zens  may  be  present  at  the  assembly,  but 
have  not  the  right  of  vote.  A  citizen  can 
only  be  judged  by  the  civil  tribunals;  nor  be 
deprived  of  his  liberty  or  his  property,  except 
by  a  sentence  inflicted  for  crimes,  within  the 
letter  of  the  law.  In  the  chief  towns  of  each 
government,  the  judges  of  the  civil  tribunals 
are  elected  every  three  years,  under  the  sanc¬ 
tion  of  the  governor ;  the  magistrates  and  jus¬ 
tices  of  the  peace  are  elected  yearly.  Each 
of  these  municipal  bodies  has  the  right  to 
make  remonstrances  to  the  governor  of  the 
district ;  it  has  its  own  seal  of  office,  its  archives, 
and  its  assembly-house.  In  Livonia,  in  Fin- 


142 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


land,  and  in  the  provinces  of  the  Baltic,  these 
privileges  and  immunities  are  still  more  ex¬ 
tensive. 

This  internal  organization  of  Russia  is 
little  known  in  Europe,  but  not  the  less  im¬ 
portant  ;  it  explains  perhaps  better  than  all 
political  considerations,  the  unanimity  shown 
by  this  people  in  their  resistance  to  the  enemy 
in  1812,  and  serves  as  a  clew  to  other  events 
which  have  since  followed  in  its  train.  One 
natural  effect  of  this  organization  is,  that 
every  effort  made  by  the  Russian  govern¬ 
ment  to  check  and  reduce  the  great  aristo¬ 
cracy  must  have  the  effect  of  increasing  the 
weight  and  influence  of  the  middling  classes, 
or  perhaps,  to  express  myself  more  appro¬ 
priately,  to  create  a  middling  class  out  of  this 
innumerable  mass  of  serfs  and  slaves,  who 
are  not  less  formidable  than  their  superiors. 

The  policy  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas, 
which  in  this  respect  corresponds  with  that 
of  his  predecessors  since  the  time  of  Peter  L, 
has  had  uniformly  for  its  object  to  draw  the 
great  and  powerful  nobles  into  the  service  of 
the  crown ;  to  detain  them  at  a  distance  from 
their  estates;  and,  in  conjunction  with  the 
empty  honours  lavished  upon  them,  to  invest 
them  with  public  employments,  which  en- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


143 


tailed  great  cost  and  expense,  in  order  to 
diminisli  their  wealth  and  accelerate  their 
ruin. 

It  was  the  principle  which  guided  the 
views  of  Cardinal  Richelieu  when  he  crushed 
the  feudal  aristocracy  in  France,  and  laid 
the  foundation  of  that  system  which  after¬ 
wards  filled  the  CE^7  de  hoeuf  at  Versailles 
with  a  host  of  needy  and  prostrate  nobles, 
and  rendered  Louis  XIV.,  the  most  despotic 
monarch  in  all  Europe.  The  people  then 
had  not  begun  to  speak  out.*  For  this 
very  same  purpose  the  Lombard  bank  was 
established ;  a  refinement  in  accommodation 
which  offered  an  immediate  relief  to  the  ne¬ 
cessitous  spendthrift,  founded  upon  the  know¬ 
ledge  of  his  character,  and  the  hope  of  ulti¬ 
mately  obtaining  his  whole  property.  This 
bank  advances  money  on  mortgage  of  estates 
at  an  interest  of  six  or  eight  per  cent,  which 
if  regularly  paid  during  a  given  number  of 
years,  the  original  debt  is  cancelled :  so  far 
the  proposal  is  alluring,  but,  should  those 
payments  remain  in  arrear,  the  estate,  at  the 
termination  of  that  period,  falls  to  the  crown. 

*  Victor  Hugo,  speaking  of  the  present  era,  says,  “  Les  idees 
sont  devenues  hommes;”  which  means,  that  the  people  have  not 
only  spoken  out,  but  have  imbodied  their  ideas. 


144 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


The  object  of  this  measure  has  been  amply 
answered. ^  Under  the  reign  of  the  Empress 
Catherine,  that  of  the  Emperor  Paul,  and  of 
his  successor  the  Emperor  Alexander,  the 
princes  and  satraps  of  Russia,  eager  to  enjoy 
the  pleasures  and  honours  of  the  capital, 
readily  abandoned  the  solitary  residence  on 
their  estates,  and  gave  themselves  up  to 
every  species'  of  prodigality  at  Petersburg. 
That  taste  for  expense  and  dissipation,  which 
is  a  leading  feature  in  the  Russian  character, 
most  admirably  served  the  objects  of  the  go¬ 
vernment  in  this  instance. 

In  those  days  a  sumptuous  palace  was 
built  for  the  purpose  of  giving  one  splendid 
fete  to  an  Empress ;  the  income  of  ten  years 
was  squandered  in  uniforms  and  charges  to 
please  the  Emperor  Paul;  whole  estates 
were  mortgaged  to  found  a  school  for  cadets, 
or  a  philanthropic  institution,  to  curry  favour 
with  the  Emperor  Alexander;  and,  in  the 
commencement  of  this  reign,  no  sacrifices 
have  been  spared,  no  expense  withheld,  to 
flatter  the  wishes  and  taste  of  the  present 
Emperor.  The  current,  however,  has  at  last 
expended  itself :  some  few  courtiers  may  still 
subsist  by  the  favours  and  emoluments  from 
the  throne ;  but  by  far  the  greater  number, 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


145 


I  may  almost  say  the  'totality  of  the  nobles, 
are  ne^ly  ruined.^  There  are  not  at  the 

*  This  was  really  the  fact  when  I  was  at  Petersburg;  but  cir¬ 
cumstances  have  since  taken  a  sudden  change,  and  the  last  eight 
or  nine  years  have  effected  an  improvement  in  the  position  of  the 
nobles,  and  in  the  industry  of  the  country,  which  no  one  could 
then  have  anticipated.  Some  few  of  these  ruined  noblemen  quitted 
the  service  in  which  they  could  no  longer  live  with  their  former 
splendour,  and  retired  to  their  own  domains,  with  the  view  of 
saving  money  by  strict  economy,  and  thus  redeeming  their  estates 
from  the  hands  of  government.  This  took  place  in  the  commence¬ 
ment  of  the  financial  administration  of  Count  Cancrin,  who  has 
always  been  anxious  to  encourage  a  spirit  of  enterprise  and  in¬ 
dustry  thoughout  the  Russian  empire.  Up  to  that  period  the  no¬ 
bles  had  been  contented  to  derive  their  income  solely  from  the 
produce  and  labour  of  their  serfs;  a  few,  however,  of  the  more 
intelligent  and  well-advised  availed  themselves  of  the  extreme  low 
price  of  wlieat  at  the  time  to  establish  manufactories  in  their  own 
neighbourhood,  which  soon  produced  very  advantageous  results. 
They,  in  a  few  years,  repaired  by  these  unexpected  profits  the  da¬ 
mage  which  their  fortunes  had  sustained  by  past  extravagance, 
and  extricated  their  lands  from  the  imperial  mortgages.  Few  ex¬ 
amples  are  so  contagious  as  those  which  hold  out  the  prospect  of 
wealth  and  affluence;  from  that  hour  it  became  a  fashion  or  a  rage 
in  Russia  to  be  possessed  of  some  fabric  or  mechanical  establish¬ 
ment.  Those  who  still  remained  in  the  service  were  equally 
anxious  to  enter  into  the  same  speculations  as  their  neigh¬ 
bours;  they  empowered  their  stewards  and  intendants  to  direct  the 
operation  in  their  stead,  but  the  eye  of  the  master  was  wanting; 
and  the  losses  which  they  incurred  by  the  mismanagement  of  their 
agents,  when  contrasted  with  the  profits  made  by  the  other  nobles, 
who  lived  on  their  properties,  and  overlooked  themselves  their  own 
establishments,  soon  determined  the  former  to  follow  their  ex¬ 
ample.  They  also  then  quitted  the  service  to  preserve  their  for¬ 
tunes  from  the  casualties  of  trade,  as  the  others  had  previously 
quitted  it  to  improve  and  restore  theirs  by  the  profits.  At  present, 
Moscow,  and  all  the  governments  in  that  direction,  are  overspread 

VOL.  I. — 13 


i46 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR; 


present  moment  above  three  or  four  families 
who  are  able  to  open  their  houses  with  any 

with  machinery  and  manufactories,  which  employ  an  innumera' 
ble  quantity  of  workmen.  Cloths,  cotton,  silk  and  woollen  stuffs, 
china,  glass,  and  other  objects  of  common  consumption,  are  now 
manufaetured  at  Moscow,  and  in  the  surrounding  governments, 
at  prices  so  low,  that  the  prohibitory  regulations,  so  rigidly  en¬ 
forced  by  Count  Cancrin  hitherto  against  English  goods,  have 
been  lately  taken  off  as  no  longer  necessary.  We  are  now  in¬ 
formed  that  Russian  industry  has  made  of  late  such  rapid  strides 
in  improvement  as  not  to  fear  the  concurrence  of  foreigners,  and 
that  English  manufactures  may  be  admitted  at  a  wholesome  but 
not  prohibitory  duty.  I  have  not  seen  the  new  tariff. 

One  very  curious  fact,  arising  from  this  new  order  of  things,  is 
worthy  of  remark.  The  project  of  advancing  money  from  the 
crown  on  mortgage  of  private  estates,  subject  to  redemption,  which 
had  been  adopted  since  the  time  of  Catherine,  for  the  purpose  of 
ruining  and  subjecting  the  nobles  to  the  throne,  has  now  latterly 
served  to  restore  their  fortunes,  and  render  them  as  independent 
as  the  nature  of  their  position  will  admit.  The  new  commercial 
establishments  have,  during  the  last  ten  years,  proved  so  profitable 
to  the  owners,  that  those  even  who  wanted  capital  to  commence 
operations,  and  set  a  manufactory  on  foot,  have  found  their  advan¬ 
tage  in  borrowing  those  funds  from  the  Lombard  bank,  and  mort- 
gaging  their  estates  at  an  interest  of  six  per  cent,  while  they  could 
make  the  capital  available  in  commercial  enterprise  to  produce 
them  sixteen  or  eighteen  per  cent,  in  the  shape  of  profit.  The  ad¬ 
vantage  arising  from  these  investments  will,  of  course,  gradually 
diminish  when  they  become  more  numerous,  and  strive  to  under- 
sell  each  other;  but  the  road  is  made  clear,  and  the  progress  is 
sure:  the  serfs  are  now  familiarized  with  meehanical  labour;  the 
nobles  are  habituated  to  a  residenee  on  their  estates,  and  to  com¬ 
mercial  ideas,  which  bring  in  their  train  ideas  of  independence. 
Another  singular  consequence  has  also  arisen  from  the  above  cir¬ 
cumstances,  which  was  little  to  have  been  expected  in  such  a 
country  as  Russia.  The  necessity  of  superintending  the  sale  of 
their  produce  has  forced  the  nobles,  particularly  at  Moscow,  into 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


147 


vestige  of  their  former  magnificence:  we 
have  read  of  the  luxury  and  splendour  which 

direct  collision  with  the )  merchants,  obliging  them  to  meet  at  ail 
hours  for  the  purposes  of  business,  and  to  live  with  them  on  a  sort 
of  footing  of  equality.  On  the  other  hand,  the  serfs,  whether  pea¬ 
sants  or  mechanics,  have  betaken  themselves  with  redoubled  ar¬ 
dour  to  trade.  The  members  of  the  company  of  merchants  are 
doubled  in  number  within  the  last  ten  years,  thus  each  advancing 
half-way  towards  the  other;  nobles  and  serfs  have  met  together  on 
the  great  arena  of  commerce ;  and  such  an  amalgamation  of  classes, 
which  have  hitherto  been  separated  by  an  impassable  barrier,  may, 
in  a  few  years,  produce  a  great  change  in  the  state  of  Russia  it¬ 
self. 

Amongst  the  nobles  who  have  become  merchants  and  manufac¬ 
turers  at  Moscow,  and  who  give  themselves  up  entirely  to  the  pro¬ 
secution  of  trade,  may  be  reckoned  some  of  the  most  distinguished 
names  in  the  empire.  The  Prince  Nicholas  Trubetskoi,  and  the 
Prince  Nicholas  SoltikofF,  have  established  manufactories  of  broad¬ 
cloth;  the  Prince  Basil  Metchorsky,  a  sugar-refinery;  the  Gene¬ 
ral  Orloff,  a  fabric  of  glass  and  crystal.  These  noblemen  have  all 
quitted  the  service,  and  have  only  retained  the  honorary  titles  of 
chamberlain,  or  gentlemen  of  the  bed-chamber,  which  require  no 
attendance  or  personal  duty. 

Moscow  that  ancient  seat  of  the  old  Muscovite  aristocracy,  is 
now  become  a  busy,  stirring  community ;  but  the  spirit  of  opposi¬ 
tion  to  the  court  and  the  government  has  sustained  no  diminution 
by  this  metamorphosis.  It  still  retains  its  old  prejudices;  but 
they  do  not  in  the  present  day  affect  its  loyalty  to  the  Emperor 
personally,  because  his  character  chimes  in  with  them:  his  de¬ 
cided  national  spirit,  and  the  ardour  with  which  he  encourages 
the  progres  of  internal  industry,  ensure  its  affection.  It  is  need¬ 
less  to  say,  that  an  opposite  conduct  would  produce  an  opposite 
result. 

Affection  for  the  soverign,  and  a  general  approbation  of  his 
measures  for  the  public  good,  may  prompt  the  offer  of  a  voluntary 
donation,  as  was  the  case  lately  at  Nijni  Novogorod,  when  the 


148 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


reigned  among  this  wealthy  class  in  the  time 
of  Catherine ;  we  may  see  the  spacious  hotels 
which  they  once  inhabited ;  hut  the  windows 
are  shut,  the  doors  are  closed,  and  the  owners 
are  either  absent,  or  living  in  economical  re¬ 
tirement.  The  dearth  of  hospitality  arising 
naturally  from  these  circumstances,  and  the 
want  of  all  public  amusements,  render  this 
capital  a  scene  of  dulness  and  ennui  beyond 
all  description :  there  are  no  foreigners  except 
those  attached  to  the  different  embassies  and 
missions;  and  not  more  than  two  or  three 
visiters  like  myself,  who  have  no  other  oc¬ 
cupation  than  seeing  the  lions.  One  conso¬ 
lation  indeed  may  be  derived  from  seeing 


merchants  came  forward  with  a  vote  of  a  million  and  a  half  of 
roubles  for  the  construction  of  quays  on  the  Volga,  according  to  a 
plan  conceived  by  the  Emperor  on  his  journey.  But  the  Emperor, 
who  might  obtain  millions  in  this  manner,  was  unable  to  raise  a 
loan  in  his  own  dominions.  With  an  immense  revenue,  and 
finances  in  the  most  prosperous  state,  his  government  is  without 
credit;  as  the  mercantile  spirit  of  the  Russians  is  too  clear  sighted 
not  to  be  convinced  that  arbitrary  power  and  public  credit  must 
always  be  incompatible. 

If  then  it  became  an  object  of  the  present  government  to  throw 
down  the  gauntlet  in  Europe,  and  commence  a  war  of  aggression, 
funds  would  be  required  for  the  purpose;  and  those  funds  could 
only  be  raised  by  a  previous  consent  to  abrogate  and  limit  that 
arbitrary  power  which  now  evidently  exists,  and  which  there  is  no 
disposition  on  the  part  of  the  ruler  to  curtail.  The  best  security 
for  peace  is  the  want  of  means  to  make  war. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


149 


that  the  natives  themselves  are  overpowered 
with  the  same  gloom,  and  appear  to  have  no 
wish  to  dispel  it;  amusement  indeed  mnst 
become  a  secondary  object  to  all,  when  a 
smile  or  a  frown  from  the  throne  is  watched 
with  unceasing  anxiety,  and  decides  the  fate 
of  every  individual.  As  to  social  intercourse 
or  literary  information,  they  are  placed  under 
shackles  very  grating  to  an  Englishman: 
conversation  on  all  political  subjects  is  gene¬ 
rally  avoided;  and  a  man  must  be  very 
guarded  in  what  he  says  at  a  public  table,  as 
spies  are  busy  to  collect  information,  and 
General  B — ,  the  minister  of  the  police,  is 
daily  well-informed  of  every  thing  that 
passes.  Books  and  newspapers  are  scru¬ 
tinized  with  as  much  rigour  as  prohibited 
manufactures. 

I  have  sent  you  a  long  and  dry  letter ;  but, 
as  Cowper  says,  I  had  not  time  to  send  you 
a  shorter. 

Yours  truly. 


13^ 


150 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


LETTER  XIL 

Celebration  of  New  Year’s  Day.— Number  and  variety  of  the 
Guests.— Causes  of  the  issue  of  the  late  Campaign  against  the 

Turks. — Generous  conduct  of  Count  W - . — Incongruities  in 

the  domestic  policy  of  Russia. 

Petersburg,  14th  January,  1830. 

My  dear - , 

Yesterday  was  the  Russian  New 
Year’s  Lay:  it  was  celebrated  by  a  fete 
which  can  be  seen  in  no  other  country ;  it  is 
a  fete  original,  extraordinary,  and  character¬ 
istic  of  the  nation.  The  sovereign  and  his 
family  commence  the  new  year  by  an  assem¬ 
bly  given  to  the  people ;  not  less  than  twenty- 
five  thousand  invitations  are  issued  to  this 
gigantic  rout.  At  seven  o’clock  in  the  even¬ 
ing  the  doors  of  the  Winter  palace  and  of  the 
Hermitage  are  thrown  open  to  the  multitude : 
the  innumerable  rooms  are  lighted  up  with 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


151 


myriadp^of  wax  candles;  at  convenient  dis¬ 
tances  are  placed  sideboards  with  refresh¬ 
ments,  adorned  with  pyramids  of  gold  and 
silver  plate ;  hands  of  military  music  resound 
in  every  corner  to  amuse  the  ear;  picked 
men,  of  the  highest  stature,  from  the  Guards, 
are  stationed  in  the  ante-rooms,  to  give  eifect 
to  the  scene;  and  liveried  servants  swarm  in 
every  direction  more  numerous,  than  the 
troops.  And  for  whom  was  this  colossal  en¬ 
tertainment  prepared?  For  every  rank  and 
degree;  from  the  highest  noble  to  the  lowest 
peasant,  all  were  equally  welcome,  without 
distinction,  to  pay  their  respects  at  the  foot 
of  the  throne:  there  are  no  exclusions;  rich 
and  poor,  the  field-marshal  and  the  invalid, 
the  princess  and  the  w^asherwoman,  the  mas¬ 
ter  of  the  horse  and  the  dancing-master,  the 
maid  of  honour  and  the  maid  of  all-work,  the 
prince  and  the  mougik,  the  Queen  of  Georgia 
and  the  French  milliner,  may  all  hope  for  a 
smile  or  a  courteous  word  from  the  fountain 
of  honour. 

In  this  immense  crowd,  slowly  moving 
through  the  apartments,  no  instance  of  disor¬ 
der  or  incivility  ever  occurs;  not  even  an  at¬ 
tempt  to  steal  the  most  trifling  ornament, 
which  to  some  must  be  a  great  temptation : 


152 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


the  Emperor  is  in  the  midst  of  his  family, 
and  the  children  are  on  their  good  behaviour. 
The  v^ives  of  the  rich  Russian  merchants 
press  through  the  dense  multitude,  decorated 
with  necklaces  and  ear-rings  of  pearls  and 
diamonds,  without  any  apprehension. 

It  would  be  no  great  injustice  to  suppose 
that,  out  of  these  twenty-five  thousand  guests, 
some  of  them  might  have  been  light-fingered 
yesterday,  and  will  be  equally  adroit  on  the 
morrow :  but  on  this  evening  a  feeling  of  re¬ 
spect,  of  curiosity,  and  of  pleasure,  seem  to 
engross  every  other  sentiment;  and  these 
dubious  characters  leave  their  dexterity  with 
their  pelisses  at  the  door  of  the  palace. 

The  varied  costumes  of  the  Russian  wo¬ 
men  (some  of  high  rank  attached  to  the 
court,)  who  were  dressed  in  the  richest 
habits  of  the  distant  provinces,  added  to  the 
brilliant  uniforms  of  the  military,  gave  such 
a  lustre  to  the  whole  scene,  that  the  dingy 
caftans  and  bearded  chins  of  the  lower  orders, 
far  from  impairing  the  effect,  seemed  only 
introduced  as  a  dark  shade  to  relieve  the 
higher  colouring  of  the  picture. 

At  seven  o’clock  the  different  members  of 
the  diplomatic  corps  are  introduced  into  the 
great  hall  of  St.  George,  where  they  are  re- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


153 


ceived  ,fey  the  Emperor,  the  Empress,  the 
Grand-dukes,  and  Grand-duchesses,  attended 
by  their  numerous  court.  This  interview 
lasts  but  a  few  minutes,  during  which  the 
crowd  flows  in  like  an  inundation  of  the  sea. 
The  Emperor  then  gives  the  signal  to  move, 
by  offering  his  hand  to  one  of  the  ambassa¬ 
dresses  present;  the  whole  court  follows  his 
example;  and  a  grave  polonaise  is  begun, 
which  passes  through  all  the  different  apart¬ 
ments  to  the  sound  of  the  military  orchestras, 
stationed  in  every  direction.  This  proces¬ 
sion  advances,  without  interruption,  through 
the  surrounding  masses  of  all  ranks,  headed 
by  the  tall,  commanding  figure  of  the  Empe¬ 
ror;  at  every  instant  he  salutes  his  subjects, 
by  raising  the  two  forefingers  to  his  hat :  and 
though  the  anxiety  to  catch  even  a  glimpse 
of  his  person  is  so  great  that  the  eager  crowd 
seems  to  present  an  impenetrable  barrier,  it 
opens  before  him  as  if  by  magic;  the  waves 
of  human  bodies  recede,  and  leave  always  a 
space  of  at  least  six  feet  in  front  to  facilitate 
his  progress.  The  men  are  all  expected  to 
appear  in  domino,  which  is  only  a  short 
black  mantle  on  the  shoulder,  without  a 
mask ;  but  the  tradespeople  and  mougiks  are 
exempted  from  this  rule.  Here  was  a  codec- 


154 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


tion  of  all  those  nations  who  are  only  known 
in  Europe  by  their  name, — Armenians, 
Greeks,  Tartars,  Persians,  Georgians,  Ime- 
retians,  inhabitants  of  Caucasus  and  of  the 
Don,  wearing  their  appropriate  dresses,  and 
gazing  with  astonishment  at  a  scene  which 
must  have  appeared  to  them  the  work  of  a 
magician.  In  those  rooms  where  the  Empe¬ 
ror  was  expected,  the  throng  w'as  at  times  so 
excessive,  that  parties  were  separated,  shoes 
were  lost,  gowns  torn,  and  respiration  im¬ 
peded;  but  no  sooner  had  he  passed  than 
ease  and  tranquillity  were  restored.  At  last 
the  polonaise  is  finished ;  and  at  eleven  o’clock 
the  Emperor,  with  his  party,  retired  to  the 
private  theatre  at  the  Hermitage,  where  sup¬ 
per  was  prepared.  It  is  illuminated  in  the 
most  splendid  manner  with  crystal  ornaments 
and  silver  fringe,  representing  cascades  and 
fountains  of  water,  which  have  a  dazzling 
effect  to  the  eye ;  twelve  negroes  in  the  Turk¬ 
ish  dress  keep  guard  at  the  entrance  of  this 
fairy  palace.  This  curious  assembly  was 
conducted  with  the  greatest  regularity,  and 
without  any  interference  of  police,  military, 
or  dictation  of  any  sort;  it  is  highly  credita¬ 
ble  to  the  mildness  and  civility  of  the  nation¬ 
al  character,  as  the  same  exhibition  on  the 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


155 


same  sc5ale  in  Paris  or  in  London  would  have 
produced  scenes  of  endless  confusion.  The 
heat  only  was  oppressive  beyond  endurance; 
fortunately,  on  that  night,  the  atmosphere 
without  was  not  more  than  six  degrees  of 
frost,  which  did  not  expose  the  numerous 
guests  to  much  danger  in  their  retreat.  Last 
year  there  were  thirty-five  degrees  of  heat 
in  the  apartments,  and  above  twenty  degrees 
of  frost  in  the  open  air :  the  contrast  was  fa¬ 
tal  ;  many  deaths  were  occasioned  by  the  sud¬ 
den  transition  from  heat  to  cold  in  the  mere 
operation  of  getting  to  the  carriage.  Not¬ 
withstanding  the  inconvenience  and  fatigue 
which  the  Emperor  must  have  felt  during  so 
long  an  exertion  to  please  his  numerous  visi¬ 
ters,  no  feeling  of  ennui  seemed  to  interrupt 
the  constant  cheerfulness  and  good-humour 
of  his  manner  to  all.  The  little  hereditary 
Grand-duke  was  in  the  train,  dressed  as  the 
Hetman  of  Cossacks ;  and  several  of  the  la¬ 
dies  wore  the  old  Russian  costume,  sparkling 
with  jewels  and  precious  stones.  The  Em¬ 
peror  may  be  justly  styled  the  father  of  his 
subjects,  but  few  would  wish  to  pass  the  eve¬ 
ning  with  twenty-five  thousand  children. 

Every  thing  I  hear  tends  to  prove  that  the 
issue  of  the  late  campaign  is  more  to  be  at- 


156 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


tributed  to  the  weakness  of  the  Turkish  em¬ 
pire,  the  contemptible  state  of  their  army, 
and  the  unpopularity  of  the  Sultan,  than  to 
any  very  brilliant  achievements  of  their  in¬ 
vaders.  An  officer,  who  is  lately  returned 
with  the  troops  from  Wallachia,  sat  next  to 
me  at  dinner  the  other  day,  and  mentioned 
several  instances  of  the  phlegmatic  apathy 
of  the  Turks,  proving  perhaps  more  than  he 
intended, — ^how  few  obstacles  they  had  op¬ 
posed  to  the  boasted  victories  of  his  country¬ 
men.  At  the  siege  of  Sillistria,  which  was 
at  last  taken,  the  Turkish  ordnance  was  very 
ill-served, — worse,  perhaps,  than  usual, — as 
the  contracts  for  stores  in  that  department 
had  been  fulfilled  in  a  most  slovenly  and  dis¬ 
graceful  manner.  At  one  particular  battery, 
commanded  by  a  young  officer  of  engineers, 
the  failure  in  the  howitzers  was  so  constant, 
that  they  w^ere  quite  useless :  he  made  re¬ 
peated  complaints  to  the  inspectors,  and  to 
the  commandant,  without  obtaining  any  re¬ 
dress  ;  they  heard  him  with  gravity,  smoked 
their  pipes,  and  took  no  steps  even  to  ascer¬ 
tain  how  far  they  were  well  founded. 

At  length,  indignant  at  the  position  in 
which  he  was  placed  by  the  negligence  or 
treachery  of  others,  he  rushed  to  the  glacis, 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


157 


where  jthe  Pacha  was  exercising  some  troops 
belonging  to  the  garrison;  and,  in  the  pre¬ 
sence  of  all,  holding  out  one  of  these  how¬ 
itzers  in  his  hand,  he  set  fire  to  the  match, 
which  whizzed  for  a  few  seconds,  and  then 
expired.  The  Pacha,  without  changing  a 
muscle  of  his  countenance,  calmly  remarked : 

Young  man,  you  have  risked  your  life  with 
great  indiscretion;  however  defective  these 
howitzers  may  be,  one  out  of  ten  on  a  mode¬ 
rate  calculation  might  have  exploded,  and 
in  that  case  you  would  have  been  blown  to 
atoms.” 

At  the  close  of  this  campaign,  an  officer  in 
the  Russian  artillery,  who  had  been  an  eye¬ 
witness  of  all  that  had  passed,  wrote  and  pub¬ 
lished  at  Odessa,  but  without  prefixing  his 
name  to  the  book,  a  very  correct  and  clever 
survey  of  the  passage  of  the  Balkan,  taken  by 
himself  during  the  march;  in' which,  without 
any  sinister  intention,  he  exposed  the  weak¬ 
ness  of  the  position,  and  rather  enlarged  on  the 
overrated  difficulties  which  public  rumour 
had  hitherto  assigned  to  this  military  exploit. 

General  D - ,  proud  of  his  success,  took 

fire  at  what  he  conceived  to  be  an  attempt  to 
depreciate  the  value  of  his  late  achievement, 
and  wrote  a  letter  of  complaint  to  the  Empe- 
VOL.  I. — 14 


158 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


Tor,  demanding  at  his  hands  satisfaction  for 
this  anonymous  attack  on  his  laurels.  The 
Emperor  hastily,  and  from  obvious  reasons, 
entering  into  all  the  feelings  of  the  general, 

gave  directions  to  Count  W-^ - ,  as  military 

governor  in  the  provinces,  to  trace  out  the 
author  of  this  plain-spoken  publication,  and 
visit  him  with  punishment. 

Count  W - —  convinced  himself  that  the 

survey  was  correct,  and  that  the  author  was 
actuated  by  no  improper  motive ;  he  was  de¬ 
termined  not  to  become  the  minister  of  in¬ 
justice,  and,  seeing  no  other  chance  of  saving 
an  innocent  man,  he  at  once  gave  himself  up 
to  the  Emperor  as  the  real  author  of  the 
obnoxious  document.  The  proceedings,  of 
course,  were  dropped ;  but  the  generous  and 
noble-minded  interference  of  the  governor  is 
only  one  among  many  other  proofs  of  his  ami¬ 
able  character. 

In  proportion  as  their  success  in  this  last 
campaign  was  unexpected,  are  the  Russians 
jealous  of  every  attempt  to  lessen  its  impor¬ 
tance  in  the  eyes  of  Europe ;  and  they  wish 
now  to  impute  to  military  skill  and  power 
that  which,  in  fact,  resulted  from  a  combina¬ 
tion  of  favourable  chances.  It  is  well  known 
here,  that,  early  in  the  war,  fabricated  ac- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


159 


counts  of  engagements  were  drawn  up  on 
the  spot,  for  dissemination  in  the  German 
papers,  when  not  a  bayonet  had  been  crossed. 
The  whole  of  this  nation  is  an  immense  bar¬ 
rack,  and  they  take  no  pains  to  conceal  it. 
They  have  titles  as  elsewhere:  they  have 
princes  and  counts,  but  they  are  only  noble 
by  birtli,  which  her&  gives  no  distinctions; 
they  have  no  rank  in  the  state  till  it  is  ac¬ 
quired  by  military  service  or  grade,  and  that 
is  open  to  all.  A  nobleman  must  obtain  the 
rank  of  a  major  in  the  army,  to  have  the  right 
of  ordering  four  post-horses  to  his  carriage 
when  he  travels  through  the  provinces.  A 
prince  even,  if  only  a  lieutenant,  may  see  the 
son  of  a  peasant,  or  a  soldier,  if  they  have  ob¬ 
tained  a  majority,  enjoy  this  right,  while  he 
is  deprived  of  it.  It  is  the  most  extraordina¬ 
ry  instance  of  the  levelling  and  the  despotic 
principle  combined  in  the  same  system. 

The  civil  department  is  likewise  subordi¬ 
nate  to  the  military :  no  man  can  be  appointed 
grand  chamberlain,  or  a  minister  of  state, 
without  previously  attaining  the  rank  of  ge¬ 
neral;  and  this  graduated  scale  is  carried 
down  through  all  the  degrees  of  civil  em¬ 
ployment  to  the  lowest  secretary  or  clerk, 
who  ranks  as  an  ensign.  These  distinctions 


160 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


were  originally  intended  as  the  reward  of 
military  services;  but  the  Emperor  has  the 
power  of  conferring  the  requisite  rank  with¬ 
out  the  service;  as  no  one  will  suppose  that 
Count  Nesselrode  has  fought  his  way  with 
his  sword  up  to  his  present  high  situation. 
The  senate,  which  is  the  supreme  court  of 
judicature,  as  well  as  the  court  of  appeals, 
the  tribunals  of  first  and  second  instance,  the 
magistracy,  and  other  civil  employments,  are 
composed  of  generals  and  officers,  who  re¬ 
ceive  these  appointments  as  a  provision  for 
themselves,  or  in  lieu  of  pensions  on  their  re¬ 
tirement.  What  should  we  say  in  England, 
if  Captain  Firebrand,  who  had  lost  a  leg  at 
Waterloo,  or  a  general  on  half-pay,  had  been 
made  a  judge  on  the  western  circuit  by  way 
of  indemnification.  These  incongruities,  to 
call  them  by  the  mildest  name,  produce  here 
their  natural  consequences;  law  and  justice 
never  meet  together.  You  will,  perhaps,  ask 
first,  what  is  the  law  in  Russia?  The  law  is 
a  record  of  innumerable  ukases,  made  by  suc¬ 
cessive  sovereigns  according  to  the  impres¬ 
sion  of  the  moment,  and  without  any  refe¬ 
rence  to  those  which  preceded.  The  ukase 
of  to-day  may  be  counteracted  by  that  of  to¬ 
morrow  ;  but  all  remain  in  force,  and  furnish 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


161 


a  list  of  the  most  contradictory  regulations. 
Thus,  I  might  go  to  law  with  you,  founding 
my  claim  on  a  royal  ukase  which  makes  my 
right  undoubted;  you  might  take  up  your  de¬ 
fence  under  the  protection  of  another  ukase, 
which  puts  me  quite  in  the  wrong :  how  then 
is  our  ^se  to  be  decided?  By  the  will  of 
these  military  judges.'  There  are  no  lawyers, 
which  in  some  cases  might  be  considered  a 
benefit;  but  here  it  is  a  real  misfortune,  as 
there  are  no  means  of  unravelling  the  dark 
code  of  Tartar  statutes,  which  still  remain  as 
a  species  of  authority  in  what  are  termed 
the  courts  of  equity.^  A  foreigner  has  less 
chance  of  success  than  a  native ;  and,  rather 
than  have  a  lawsuit  with  a  Russian,  he  ge¬ 
nerally  submits  to  abandon  a  claim  for  which 
he  has  no  hope  of  obtaining  redress. 

T^ie  administration  of  justice  has  not  ad¬ 
vanced  a  single  step  within  the  last  fifty  years: 

*  A  laborious  task  has  since  been  accomplished  under  the  su^ 
perintendence  of  M.  Speranski  The  laws  of  Russia  have  been 
compiled  into  two  collections;  the  one  under  separate  heads,  the 
other  in  their  chronological  order.  This  immense  work  is  com¬ 
prised  in  forty-five  volumes,  closely  printed,  in  the  national  lan¬ 
guage;  it  may  facilitate  the  reference,  but  must  expose  the  con¬ 
tradictions.  The  series  of  ukases  issued  by  the  Emperor  Ni¬ 
cholas  during  the  last  .ten  years  most  clearly  prove  the  tendency 
cf  jjus  government 


14* 


162 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


the  pleadings  are  all  secret,  with  closed  doors ; 
there  is  no  check  from  public  opinion,  and 
suits  linger  on  from  generation  to  generation. 
The  judges  are  as  ill  paid  as  they  are  little  re¬ 
spected,  and  are  driven  by  necessity  to  make 
the  most  of  their  situation ;  bribery  is  openly 
practised,  and  the  longest  purse  will  have  the 
best  chance.  I  have,  unfortunately,  had  oc¬ 
casion  myself  to  visit  the  courts  of  law,  and 
the  tribunal  which  answers  to  our  Chancery : 
great  was  my  astonishment  to  see  the  pub¬ 
lic  functionaries,  from  the  judge  down  to  the 
clerk,  arrayed  in  military  uniforms. 

Prince  K - ,  a  Polish  nobleman  who  has 

large  estates  in  Livonia,  where,  as  well  as  in 
Courland  and  Esthonia,  the  emancipation  of 
the  slaves  has  been  effected,  came  here  the 
other  day  to  attend  to  a  law^suit  going  on  be¬ 
tween  him  and  his  peasants,  which  appeared 
very  likely  to  be  given  against  him.  He  told 
a  friend  of  mine  that  he  had  been  round  to 
all  the  judges  privately  to  explain  the  case; 
and,  as  it  is  well  understood  what  the  mean¬ 
ing  of  this  visit  intimates,  the  peasants  will 
probably  go  to  the  wall. 

A  merchant  here,  in  the  English  factory, 

Mr.  - ,  who  has  occasionally  had  large 

contracts  with  the  government,  went  lately 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


163 


to  make  a  tender  of  a  cargo  of  red  lead  to  the 
glass-blowing  manufactory.  He  was  received 
by  the  chairman  of  the  board,  who  was  in  full 
uniform,  with  stars  and^  decorations ;  his  se¬ 
cretary  was  an  aide-de-camp;  and  the  young 
men  employed  in  writing  at  a  table  were  also 

in  regimentals.  Mr. - was  not  very  well 

pleased  with  the  result  of  his  negotiation; 
but  he  told  me  that  he  should  send  a  hogs¬ 
head  of  wine,  merely  with  his  compliments, 
to  the  chairman,  and  his  business  would  be 
arranged.  Some  time  ago  this  same  gentle¬ 
man  had  a  large  contract  for  lead  with  the 
Board  of  Ordnance,  when  douceurs  to  every 
individual  in  the  office,  from  the  general  to 
the  door-keeper,  amounting  in  all  to  six  thou¬ 
sand  roubles,  were  absolutely  detailed  on  pa¬ 
per,  and  of  course  included  by  him  in  his  cal¬ 
culation  of  the  price  which  he  charged  to  the 
government.  This  system  of  peculation  is 
not  mentioned  as  being  illegal,  or  derogatory 
to  the  individuals :  it  is  publicly  practised ; 
and  was  not  only  encouraged,  but  exacted, 
by  Catherine  during  her  reign;  and  is  one 
of  the  many  evils  which  the  present  Empe¬ 
ror  would  wish,  but  is  unable,  to  abolish. 

It  exists  in  every  department;  but,  when 
it  shows  itself  in  the  courts  of  justice,  it  then 


164 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


becomes  a  hideous  evil.  I  can  speak  from 
experience,  that,  in  suits  of  all  descriptions, 
your  solicitor  is  intrusted  with  this  distribu¬ 
tion  of  bribes ;  without  which,  success,  even 
on  the  most  just  grounds,  is  unattainable. 

Having  thus  alluded  to  the  magistrates  and 
higher  functionaries  of  the  state,  let  us  now 
look  at  the  general  process  of  education  for 
these  aspirants  to  all  the  honours  of  the  em¬ 
pire.  From  the  cradle,  all  who  are  not  slaves, 
are  doomed  to  the  military  profession;  if  you 
were  to  ask  a  lady  here,  with  what  views  in 
life  she  intended  to  bring  up  her  children, 
she  would  laugh  in  your  face.  The  question, 
indeed,  would  be  ridiculous  in  the  extreme. 

The  rudiments  of  this  art  are  taught  in 
various  public  establishments :  the  first  and 
second  corps  of  Cadets,  the  schools  of  the 
Mines,  the  Artillery,  the  Engineers,  the  Ly¬ 
ceum  of  Zarschozcloe,  and  the  Hotel  des 
Pag-es,  receive  in  their  bosom  all  the  rising 
population  which  is  destined  hereafter  to 
figure  in  the  most  conspicuous  ranks  of  the 
state  and  of  society.  These  establishments 
are  kept  in  admirable  order ;  the  dormitories 
are  clean,  the  regulations  are  rigidly  enforced, 
the  discipline  is  military  a  la  lettre,  and  the 
evolutions  so  frequent  and  so  long  that  time 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


165 


is  only  allowed  for  common  physical  recrea¬ 
tion.  When  can  the  tired  student  find  an 
opportunity  to  relax  his  mind  with  agreeable 
literature,  or  the  intercourse  of  pleasing  so¬ 
ciety?  Never!  His  leisure  must /brce 
be  occupied  in  repairing  the  waste  of  his  con- 
stitutio|r  by  sleep  and  proper  nourishment. 

In  the  next  place,  how  are  these  classes 
governed,  and  who  are  the  professors?  Men 
who  have  in  their  turn  previously  received  a 
similar  education;  men,  generally  speaking, 
of  a  certain  mediocrity,  of  a  limited  share  of 
intellect  or  accomplishment,  who  may  per¬ 
haps  succeed  in  making  their  pupils  good 
officers,  but  have  neither  the  time,  the  talent, 
nor,  perhaps,  the  inclination,  to  make  them 
any  thing  else.  This  system  of  drilling  (for 
I  can  give  it  no  other  name)  finished,  with¬ 
out  any  fixed  idea  of  the  duties,  either  moral 
or  religious,  of  a  good  citizen,  these  young 
martinets  are  sent  forth  into  the  imperial 
ranks,  to  vegetate  in  a  garrison  and  com¬ 
mand  automatons,  or  jghj  the  bravo’s  trade  at 
the  beck  of  a  superior.  In  later  life,  when 
laurels  have  been  won,  when  the  constitution 
has  been  worn  by  fatigue,  and  the  body  per¬ 
haps  crippled  by  wounds,  with  a  mind  still 
uninformed,  and  prejudices  more  strongly 


166 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


confirmed,  these  very  men  are  perhaps  des¬ 
tined  to  assist  in  the  councils  of  the  senate, 
or  to  dispense  justice  to  their  fellow-citizens 
from  a  code  of  laws  which  is  acknowledged 
to  be  unintelligible.  This  is  only  a  general 
view;  there  are  certainly  many  exceptions  of 
well-informed  men  in  the  Russian  service, 
who,  by  their  own  perseverance  and  talents, 
have  rendered  themselves  superior  to’  the 
shackles  which  awaited  them  from  their  in¬ 
fancy  ;  aiid  the  rest  cannot  be  blamed — they 
are  only  victims  of  a  horrid,  unavoidable 
system. 


Yours  ever, 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


167 


I 

LETTER  XIIL 


The  blessing  of  the  Waters. — Power  of  the  Emperor. — -His  firm¬ 
ness  in  repressing  Abuses. — Peculation  at  the  Military  Hospi¬ 
tal. — German  Alliances. — Paper  Money.— ^Foreign  Tradesmen 
in  Petersburg. 


Peter sbutg,  20th  January,  1830. 

My  dear - 

I  HAVE  received  yours  of  the  6th,  and 
also  one  from  my  old  friend,  who  excuses 
himself  from  sending  me  letters  of  introduc¬ 
tion  to  his  friends  at  this  place,  on  the  plea 
that  they  are  all  military  men,  and  could  he 
of  no  use  to  a  stranger ;  he  might  as  well 
have  said,  that  they  all  wear  a  head,  as  one 
is  nearly  as  general  as  the  other :  ma  cost  va 
il  mondoj  when  you  want  a  service. 

On  the  18th  instant,  which  is  the  Russian 


168 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


Twelfth-day,  a  religions  ceremony  takes 
place  on  the  Neva,  which  I  believe  has  no 
parallel  in  any  other  country,  unless  we  ad¬ 
duce  the  now  obsolete  custom  at  Venice  of 
the  Doge  espousing  the  sea.  This  ceremony 
is  called  the  Blessing  of  the  waters;  and  the 
object  is,  that  the  river  Neva  may,  by  the 
prayers  of  the  nation,  be  rendered  propitious 
to  the  navigation,  and  all  other  purposes  to 
which  rivers  may  be  applicable  in  the  neigh¬ 
bourhood  of  a  great  and  dirty  capital.  The 
whole  population  of  St.  Petersburg  and  the 
environs  is  collected  on  the  quays  to  witness 
this  solemn  invocation.  An  octagon  temple 
formed  of  wooden  trellis-work,  adorned  with 
pictures,  gilded  cherubs,  and  other  religious 
emblems,  is  erected  on  the  ice  opposite  to  the 
Winter  Palace.  There  are  four  entrances 
to  this  pavilion,  which  is  approached  from 
the  shore  by  a  wooden  communication  built 
on  massive  piles;  that  which  faces  the  palace 
is  decorated  with  a  picture  representing  the 
baptism  of  our  Saviour  in  the  river  Jordan. 
In  the  centre  of  this  building  is  dug  a  large 
hole  in  the  ice,  which,  at  this  season  of  the 
year,  is  generally  four  or  five  feet  in  depth ; 
as,  with  some  appearance  of  inconsistency, 
the  nation  has  singled  out  this  period  for 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


169 


blessing  the  waters,  when  the  climate  has 
rendered  them  completely  invisible.  Over 
this  aperture  is  suspended,  from  the  dome 
above,  the  figure  of  a  dove. 

In  the  morning,  the  Emperor,  Empress, 
and  imperial  family,  with  the  court,  assist  at 
divine  service  in  the  chapel,  at  which  the 
Metropolitan  Archbishop  with  the  principal 
clergy  preside :  this  service  lasts  from  eleven 
till  twelve  o’clock.  At  that  hour  the  proces¬ 
sion  issues  from  the  palace :  in  front  appears 
a  priest  bearing  a  lantern ;  then  others  with 
a  cross,  banners,  and  holy  images ;  the  court 
choristers  precede  the  Archbishop  and  cler¬ 
gy,  who  are  arrayed  in  gorgeous  vestments, 
with  flowing  beards ;  then  come  the  pages, 
and  subalterns  bearing  the  colours  of  the  dif¬ 
ferent  regiments  of  guards;  last  of  all  the 
Emperor,  followed  by  the  Grand-dukes,  and 
escorted  by  the  great  officers  of  state,  his  mi¬ 
litary  staff,  generals  and  courtiers,  all  bare¬ 
headed,  and  apparently  impressed  with  the 
solemnity  of  the  scene. 

As  soon  as  the  Emperor  has  taken  his  po¬ 
sition  at  one  of  the  doors  of  the  pavilion,  the 
Archimandrite  recites  the  prayers,  and  the 
choristers  sing  the  responses;  the  blessing  is 

VOL.  L— 15 


170 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


performed  by  plunging  a  silver  cross  in  the 
waters,  of  which  a  vase  is  presented  to  his 
Majesty.  A  signal  rocket  announces  the  con¬ 
clusion  of  the  ceremony,  and  the  cannon  from 
the  fortress  again  announce  to  the  cives  the 
beatification  of  proverbially  the  most  un¬ 
wholesome  waters  in  all  Christendom.  The 
Empress  and  her  court  are  seated  at  the  win¬ 
dows  of  the  palace;  the  foreign  ministers, 
&c.,  view  the  procession  from  those  of  the 
Hermitage,  which  command  the  quays;  but, 
as  the  ceremony  itself  lasts  for  nearly  twenty- 
five  minutes,  it  must  be  a  severe  trial  for  the 
Emperor  and  his  suite  to  remain  so  long  un¬ 
covered  in  this  piercing  climate. 

As  soon  as  the  actors  in  this  curious  scene 
have  retired,  there  is  a  general  rush  of  the 
common  people  towards  the  temple :  mothers 
are  seen  plunging  their  infants  into  the  sa¬ 
cred  opening  which  has  been  made  in  the 
river;  while  various  individuals  fill  their 
pitchers  with  the  holy  water,  and  carry  it 
home  to  their  families,  undaunted  by  the  se¬ 
vere  cold  which  freezes  it  during  their  walk. 

On  the  same  day,  at  Constantinople,  the 
Greek  Patriarch  performs  a  like  ceremony. 
He  throws  the  cross  into  the  sea;  and  it  is 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


171 


asserted  that  skilful  divers  eagerly  await  the 
operation,  and  generally  succeed  in  seizing 
it  before  it  reaches  the  bottom.  ■  ^ 

If  Napoleon  chose  to  say  in  France,  “  Le 
tro7ze,  c^est  moiP'^  with  as  much  propriety 
may  the  Emperor  Nicholas  say,  Russie, 
c’est  moiP^  He  stands  alone  here,  the  great 
proprietor  of  all.  In  other  countries  there 
are  the  revenues  of  the  state  for  public  pur¬ 
poses,  out  of  which  is  allotted  a  civil  list  for 
the  use  and  maintenance  of  the  reigning  fa¬ 
mily  ;  here,  the  public  revenue  and  the  pub¬ 
lic  disbursements  merge  as  completely  in  him 
as  if  it  was  a  private  estate.  Here  is  no  par¬ 
liament  to  vote  supplies,  or  cabinet-council  of 
ministers  to  declare  war;  a  single  ukase  is 
sufficient  for  the  first,  and  a  supreme  will  for 
the  second.  What  is  called  the  senate  has 
no  concern  with  politics;  it  is  a  mere  delibe¬ 
rative  assembly,  to  hear  appeals  from  the 
minor  courts  of  justice,  and  is  occupied  with 
questions  of  internal  arrangements  for  main¬ 
taining  order  in  the  provinces.  The  Empe¬ 
ror  is  the  sole  director  of  the  foreign  relations 
abroad,  the  sole  source  of  honours  and  emo¬ 
luments  at  home.  Each  minister  of  state 
comes  to  him  separately  with  his  portfolio 


172 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


under  his  arm,  and  transacts  the  business  of 
his  department  under  his  superintendence. 

The  army,  the  navy,  the  civil  servants,  the 
public  institutions,  only  form  a  part  of  his 
establishment;  and,  gigantic  as  the  scale 
must  be,  the  whole  is  submitted  to  his  in¬ 
spection:  you  may  therefore  judge  of  the 
boundless  activity  which  forms  a  striking 
feature  in  his  character.  It  must  be  impos¬ 
sible  for  one  man  to  scrutinize  such  vast  de¬ 
tails  ;  but  he  is  indefatigable  in  his  research¬ 
es;  and  though  surrounded  by  corruption  in 
all  its  shapes,  whenever  he  can  lay  his  finger 
on  a  delinquent,  be  he  high  or  low,  he  makes, 
a  sudden  example  of  him,  which  terrifies  and 
keeps  the  others  on  the  alert. 

The  following  circumstance  has  just  oc¬ 
curred,  which  may  give  a  sample  of  his  ener¬ 
gy  and  vigour,  even  in  what  may  be  called 
a  trifling  instance.  It  is  to  be  supposed  that 
some  previous  hint  had  been  given  him  of 
frauds  practised  in  the""  management  of  the 
great  military  hospital,  and  particularly  of 
false  charges  made  by  the  officer  of  that  esta¬ 
blishment  who  superintended  the  burials  of 
the  dead,  for  each  of  which  a  certain  sum  is  al¬ 
lowed  by  government.  The  Emperor,  with- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


173 


out  appearing  to  notice  the  information,  or¬ 
dered  his  horse  the  other  morning,  and  pro¬ 
posed  to  Prince  Albert  of  Prussia,  who  is 
here  on  a  visit  to  his  sister,  the  Empress,  to 
accompany  him  in  his  ride.  He  directed  his 
course,  as  if  by  chance,  towards  the  hospital, 
where  he  arrived  precisely  at  the  moment 
when  the  gates  were  opened,  and  a  funeral 
came  oift  on  its  way  to  the  place  of  inter¬ 
ment.  He  stopped  the  humble  procession, 
and  instantly  gave  orders  for  the'  coffin  to  be 
uncovered,  when  it  was  at  once  ascertained 
that  two  dead  bodies  had  been  packed  into 
it,  in  order  that  the  director  might, pocket  the 
sum  allowed  for  the  second  funeral.  Nicho¬ 
las  immediately  sent  for  the  wretched  delin¬ 
quent,  and  dismissed  him  from  his  office ;  but 
with  such  a  severe  reprimand,  that  he  went 
home  and  cut  his  throat,  where  he  now  lies 
in  a  hopeless  situation. 

As  the  state  is  constituted, — one  master 
alone  opposed  to  millions  of  dependents, — 
fear  must  be  the  groundwork  of  authority ; 
and  this  Emperor  has  had  the  address  to  in¬ 
spire  it  very  generally,  without  giving  any 
grounds  for  complaint  of  cruelty  or  oppres¬ 
sion.  No  one  better  knows  the  canker  which 
15^ 


174 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


surrounds  him ;  no  one  can  be  more  eager  to 
extirpate  it;  his  wish  to  do  right  is  acknow¬ 
ledged  by  all,  even  by  those  who  are  inte¬ 
rested  in  counteracting  his  views:  but  he 
who  has  seen  a  brother  die  of  a  broken  heart, 
from  the  forward  ingratitude  of  a  people 
whose  welfare  and  happiness  were  the  pri¬ 
mary  object  of  his  existence,  may  well  be 
justified  in  enforcing  his  own  salutary  go¬ 
vernment  by  means  more  rigorous  and  deter¬ 
mined  than  those  of  his  predecessor.  When 
to  this  resolute  character  in  public  life,  may 
be  added  the  amiable  and  domestic  virtues 
of  a  private  citizen,  you  will  agree  with  me, 
that  few  sovereigns  can  be  compared  to  him. 

It  is  impossible  to  say  the  same  of  his  bro¬ 
ther,  the  Grand-duke  Constantine,  whose  im¬ 
petuous,  domineering  temper  has  made  him 
many  enemies,  and  whods  little  likely  to  con¬ 
ciliate  the  Poles  to  the  Russian  yoke.  His 
first  wife  was  a  princess  of  the  house  of  Saxe- 
Cobourg,  whose  life  was  short  and  wretched ; 
indeed,  the  German  princesses  have  not  been 
fortunate  in  their  alliances  with  this  country. 
Sophia  of  Brunswick,  who  married  the  Cza- 
rowitz  Alexis;  next,  the  Regent  Anne,  the 
luckless  mother  of  Ivan  III. ;  then  the  two 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


175 


wives  of  Paul, — Natalie  of  Darmstadt,  and 
Maria  of  Wirtemberg, — have  all  had  good 
reason  to  regret  the  connexion :  the  only  ex¬ 
ceptions  to  be  cited  are,  Elizabeth  of  Baden, 
the  wife  of  Alexander;  and  the  present  Em¬ 
press,  whose  happiness  is  apparent  to  all. 

No  money  is  seen  in  circulation  here,  all 
is  paper;  blue,  red,  and  white  notes,  torn  and 
dirty,  fepresent  five,  ten,  and  twenty-five 
roubles,  &c. ;  they  are  the  only  medium  of 
change,  which  never  varies:  an  attempt  to 
circulate  foreign  gold  coin  would  be  attended 
with  great  loss,  as  you  would  never  obtain 
its  real  value.  There  exists  a  law  to  prevent 
this  paper-money  from  being  carried  out  of 
the  country,  and  what  may  appear  paradoxi¬ 
cal,  another  to  confiscate  it  if  afterwards  at¬ 
tempted  to  be  introduced'  again.  The  rou¬ 
ble  which,  in  former  times,  was  worth  from 
thirty-six  to  forty  pence  English,  is  now  only 
worth  ten-pence  in  its  paper  shape.  <  W e  have 
seen  the  time  in  England  when  a  one-pound 
note  was  not  intrinsically  worth  more  than 
fourteen  shillings ;  but  here  the  depreciation, 
owing  to  the  enormous  issues^  of  paper,  is  far 


*  These  issues  now  amount  to  near  four  times  the  value  of  the 
serfs  of  the  crown,  who  were  originally  pledged  to  the  public  as  a 
security  for  the  payment. 


176 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


more  serious,  the  silver  rouble  being  equal  to 
three  and  a-half  or  four  roubles  of  the  latter. 
This  paper-money  has  one  advantage,  that  it 
never  varies  in  value,  but  the  original  silver 
coin  fluctuates  daily,  and  is,  therefore,  almost 
entirely  driven  out  of  circulation  in  the  com¬ 
mon  purposes  of  barter. 

There  is  little  appearance  in  the  shops, 
and  few  things  are  to  he  bought  here,  which 
may  not  be  found  better  and  cheaper  in  other 
places.  Cachemire  shawls  are  very  dear, 
their  furs  generally  exorbitant — a  mere  col¬ 
lar  of  heaver-skin  for  a  great  coat  will  cost 
two  hundred  roubles, — but  the  curims  in  tea 
may  be  amply  gratified ;  the  greatest  variety 
is  brought  here  overland  from  China,  and  is 
sold  at  prices  unknown  with  us;  the  finer 
sorts  will  cost  from  forty,  fifty,  to  one  hun¬ 
dred  roubles  per  pound,  and  are  a  real  curi¬ 
osity.  The  smoker  will  find  here  the  best 
and  handsomest  pipes  in  Europe ;  they  are 
reckoned  superior  to  those  in  Turkey,  and 
far  beyond  the  German  manufacture;  the 
mouthpieces  are  all  made  of  amber,  and  they 
sell  at  high  prices.  If  you  add  to  these  the 
curious  fabric  at  Toula  of  steel  and  silver 
mixed,  the  secret  of  which  is  hitherto  un- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


177 


discovered,  and  the  embroidered  boots  from 
Moscow  and  the  Asiatic  frontier,  there  is 
nothing  else  worthy  of  mention. 

The  Russian  tradesmen  openly  confess 
that  they  are  rogues,  and  will  always  ask 
even  double  the  price  which  they  are  pre¬ 
pared  to  take;  the  foreigners  are  equally  ex¬ 
orbitant,  but  more  stubborn  in  reduction ;  in¬ 
deed,  the  demand  for  articles  of  luxury  is  now 
so  limited  here,  that  a  German  tailor,  who 
works  for  the  court,  told  me  frankly  he  must 
have  large  profits  on  the  small  consumption 
in  order  to  live.  There  are  many  French 
milliners  in  Petersburg,  as  the  Russian  ladies 
adopt  rigorously  the  modes  from  Paris,  and, 
in  general,  are  very  well  dressed  when  they 
go  into  public ;  but  these  make  bitter  com¬ 
plaints  of  long  standing  bills  and  dilatory 
payments,  which  prevent  them  from  realizing 
their  profits  and  returning  home.  They 
must  make  up  their  minds  to  settle  here  for 
life.  Opposite  to  the  windows  of  my  hotel 

is  the  residence  of  Madame - ,  the  most 

fashionable  modiste  of  the  day  in  Petersburg ; 
from  twelve  till  three  o’clock  her  door  is 
besieged  with  visiters;  carriages  with  four 
horses  arrive  in  succession  one  after  the 
other,  and  if  her  receipts  bear  any  proportion 


178 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


to  the  number  of  her  fair  customers,  she  must 
be  in  the  way  of  making  a  large  fortune ;  but 
her  confessions  to  me  were  very  unsatis¬ 
factory. 


Adieu ! 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


179 


LETTER  Xiy. 

A  Russian  Wedding.— -Funerals. - Baptisnik- — Education. — - 

Ruined  Fortunes. — Private  habits  of  the  Emperor. — Reserve  in 
the  character  of  the  Russians. — Count  S.  Potocki. — Dulness  and 
Gloom  of  St.  Petersburg.— Police  Spies. — Inflexibility  of  Nicho¬ 
las. — The  Russian  Peasants — The  Greek  Church. — Convents  in 
Russia.— Russian  Vices.— The  Climate. 

Petersburg,  24th  January,  1830. 

My  dear  — 

I  HAD  a  very  natural  wish  to  see  a  Rus¬ 
sian  wedding,  and  it  was  soon  gratified. 

Count - ,  brother  to  him  whom  I  had  the 

pleasure  to  know  in  Paris^  very  kindly  in¬ 
vited  me  to  accompany  him  the  other  even¬ 
ing  to  the  marriage  of  Colonel  -  with 

Mademoiselle  - .  The  history  of  the 

parties  was  simple  enough,  and  too  frequent^ 
perhaps,  in  all  countries :  it  was  a  manage  de 
convename,  W e  found  the  chapel  brilliantly 


180 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


lighted  Tip ;  two  small  altars  were  raised  in 
the  centre,  on  which  were  placed  the  cup  of 
wine,  two  coronets  of  gold,  the  holy  gospel, 
and  a  consecrated  image,  which  was  after¬ 
wards  to  be  removed  to  the  nuptial  chamber. 
The  mutual  friends  were  assembled,  and 
formed  a  circle  in  their  usual  dress,  the  re¬ 
lations  only  being  in  full  uniform,  with  their 
cordons  and  decorations.  The  bridegroom 
arrived  first  and  joined  the  group,  who  were 
eager  to  express  their  congratulations  on  the 
occasion :  in  a  short  time  appeared  the  bride, 
attended  by  her  family,  and  the  usual  atten¬ 
dants.  It  would  be  rare  to  see  a  handsomer 
person :  she  was  dressed  in  white,  with  much 
taste  and  simplicity;  the  long  veil  flowed 
round  her  shoulders,  and  the  usual  emblem  of 
marriage,  a  bouquet  of  orange  flowers,  graced 
her  bosom. 

They  were  placed  before  the  altars  in  face 
of  the  Pope;  to  each  was  given,  a  lighted 
taper,  and  the  service  began  wdth  a  grand 
chorus  from  the  chantres  de  la  cour.  During 
this  commencement  the  bride  appeared  to  be 
much  agitated;  but  she  soon  mastered  her 
emotion,  though  the  heaving  bosom  and  the 
trembling  taper  still  gave  evidence  of  the  in¬ 
ternal  struggle.  The  questions  and  replies. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


181 


together  with  the  interchange  of  rings,  cor¬ 
respond  with  the  rites  of  other  churches ;  but 
there  is  one  ceremony  peculiar  to  the  Greek 
church,  which  is  at  once  symbolical  and  af¬ 
fecting.  The  Pope  takes  the  cup  of  wine, 
and  invites  the  betrothed  pair  to  drink  of  it 
alternately,  as  a  tacit  engagement  to  share  in 
commdn  the  good  and  evil  of  their  future 
lives;  this  idea  is  also  renewed,  when  they 
walk  three  times  round  the  altars,  arm-in-arm, 
while  the  golden  coronets  are  held  over  their 
heads  by  the  assistants.  The  benediction  is 
then  pronounced,  the  new-married  couple  are 
led  to  the  holy  place,  where  they  kiss  the  pic¬ 
tures  of  the  saints,  and  the  ceremony  is 
finished. 

In  any  other  country  it  would  be  sup¬ 
posed,  that  when  a  lovely  person  like  Made¬ 
moiselle  - was  sacrificed  at  the  altar  by 

her  friends,  their  object  must  have  been  to 
secure  a  rich  and  noble  husband  for  a  por¬ 
tionless  daughter.  But  this  was  not  the  case ; 
she  had  an  independent  fortune,  and  her  fu¬ 
ture  husband  had  neither  title,  connexions, 
nor  a  rouble  beyond  his  pay.  But  here  the 
epaulette  is  every  thing.  He  was  a  colonel 
in  the  army,  and  military  rank  is  the  only 
acknowledged  grade  in  the  state;  she  was 

VOL.  I. — 16 


182 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


thrown  into  the  arms  of  a  man,  her  inferior 
in  every  point,  with  her  feelings  perhaps  al¬ 
ready  devoted  to  another,  solely  and  simply 
that  she  might  acquire  an  ascertained  rank 
in  the  scale  of  Russian  society. 

The  funerals  here,  in  particular  instances, 
are  very  magnificent;  long  processions  of 
priests,  choristers,  and  mourners, — with 
standard-bearers,  are  headed  by  a  man  bear¬ 
ing  the  cross,  and  other  emblems  of  religion. 
The  body  is  conveyed  in  a  coffin,  generally 
of  some  lively  colour,  on  an  open  car  or 
hearse:  when  carried  into  the  church,  the 
lid  is  taken  off,  and  the  corpse  exposed  to 
public  view  during  the  service. 

On  all  occasions  it  is  the  custom  to  place 
a  certificate,  signed  by  the  priest,  in  one  hand 
of  the  deceased,  and  in  the  other  a  sum  of 
money,  varying  according  to  his  rank,  from 
two  copecks  to  ten  roubles,  which  must  be  a 
remnant  of  the  old  Pagan  fee  to  Charon. 

As  we  are  on  the  chapter  of  ceremonies,  I 
ought  to  touch  upon  baptism,  which  is  al¬ 
ways  performed  by  immersion.  In  the  rich 
houses,  two  tables  are  laid  out  in  the  draw¬ 
ing-room,  by  the  priests;  one  is  covered  with 
holy  images,  on  the  other  is  placed  an  enor¬ 
mous  silver  basin,  filled  with  water  sur- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


183 


rounded  by  small  wax  tapers.  The  chief- 
priest  begins  by  consecrating  the  font,  and 
plunging  a  silver  cross  repeatedly  in  the 
water;  he  then  takes  the  child,  and,  after  re¬ 
citing  certain  prayers,  undresses  it  com¬ 
pletely.  The  process  of  immersion  takes 
place  twice,  and  so  rigorously,  that  the  head 
must  (disappear  under  the  water ;  the  infant 
is  then  restored  to  its  nurse,  and  the  sacra¬ 
ment  is  finally  administered.  In  former 
times,  when  a  child  had  the  misfortune  to 
be  born  in  winter,  it  was  plunged  without 
pity  under  the  ice,  or  into  water  of  the  same 
temperature.  In  the  present  day,  that  rigour 
has  been  relaxed  by  permission  of  the  church, 
and  warm  water  substituted  for  the  other; 
but  the  common  people  still  adhere  scrupu¬ 
lously  to  the  ancient  practice  in  all  seasons. 
On  these  occasions  numbers  of  children  are 
baptized  at  the  same  time  on  the  ice,  and  the 
cold  often  proves  fatal  to  them.  It  some¬ 
times  happens,  also,  that  a  child  slips  through 
the  hands  of  the  priest,  and  is  lost,  in  which 
case  he  only  exclaims,  “  God  has  been  pleased 
to  take  this  infant  to  himself :  hand  me  ano¬ 
ther;”  and  the  poor  people  submit  to  their 
loss  without  a  murmur,  as  the  dispensation 
of  Heaven. 


184 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


The  state  superintends  generally,  as  you 
have  seen,  the  education  of  the  young  men; 
but  that  of  the  daughters  remains  with  their 
family.  There  is  no  lack  of  teachers  in  the 
house,  and  the  Russian  young  women  of 
rank  are  in  general  highly  accomplished. 
They  speak  at  least  two  or  three  foreign  lan¬ 
guages  fluently:  in  drawing,  music,  and 
dancing,  they  are  often  proficients;  but  no 
care  seems  to  be  taken  to  give  them  the 
slightest  idea,  I  will  not  say  of  house-keep¬ 
ing,  but  even  of  the  value  of  money  in  com¬ 
mon  expenses.  If,  therefore,  they  have  not 
large  fortunes  themselves,  which  is  a  rare 
occurrence,  or  do  not  make  brilliant  mar¬ 
riages,  which  every  day  become  more  unfre¬ 
quent,  they  are  little  calculated  to  struggle 
hereafter  through  the  difficulties  of  life,  or  to 
make  the  most  of  a  small  income  with  a  hus¬ 
band,  whose  time  must  be  engrossed  with  the 
duties  of  his  profession. 

In  England  and  France,  we  see  young 
women  of  high  rank,  who  have  been  accus¬ 
tomed  to  all  the  luxuries  of  wealth  from  their 
infancy,  conform  cheerfully  to  the  limited 
circumstances  of  a  husband,  and  strive  by 
order  and  regularity  to  arrange  a  comforta¬ 
ble  home ;  but  I  fear  a  Russian  education  is 


CITY  OF  THE  CZA.R. 


185 


little  calculated  to  make  young  ladies  good 
economists. 

There  is  no  country,  with  the  exception, 
perhaps,  of  Italy,  which  abounds  with  so 
many  ruined  fortunes  as  Russia;  and  in  no 
two  places  are  the  women  brought  up  with 
ideas  s(^  little  calculated  to  sustain  priva¬ 
tions,  or  to  cope  with  the  difficulties  of  a 
scanty  income. 

We  have  been  used  to  impute  the  far  niente 
propensity  in  the  Italian  ladies  to  the  ener¬ 
vating  effects  of  a  southern  climate;  but, 
when  we  find  it  equally  preponderant  under 
the  Frigid  Zone,  we  can  no  longer  trace  it  to 
the  atmosphere,  except  upon  the  principle 
that  les  deux  extremes  se  rencontrent. 

Horace  Walpole  once  remarked,  on  seeing 
a  young  lady  in  Paris,  who  was  much  ad¬ 
mired  in  society  for  her  brilliant  talents  and 
accomplishments.  Tout  est  hien  gentil, 
mais  qu^  est  ce  qu' on  fait  de  a  la  maison. 

The  private  habits  of  the  Emperor  are 
tranquil  and  domestic ;  that  portion  of  his 
time  which  is  not  devoted  to  business,  is 
passed  with  the  Empress  and  his  family  like 
a  hon  bourgeois.  The  crown,  therefore,  with 
all  its  wealth  and  powers  of  hospitality,  gives 
very  few  fetes  to  enliven  the  gloom  which 
16^ 


186 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


broods  over  society  in  Petersburg.  The  na¬ 
tives  folloAv  his  example,  and  give  very  few 
entertainments  themselves.  Their  meetings 
are  formal ;  but  it  is  a  general  remark  amongst 
foreigners,  that  though  on  a  first  introduc¬ 
tion  their  manners  are  cordial  and  prepossess¬ 
ing,  they  never  lead  to  any  farther  inti¬ 
macy. 

I  have  been  frequently  told  by  men  who 
have  been  here  for  several  years — men  of  the 
world,  and  diplomatists,  who  have  frequented 
the  best  society  in  Europe,  that  they  have 
not  only  never  formed  a  friendship  with  a 
Russian,  but  never  found  that  they  advanced 
a  step  in  familiarity  or  intercourse  with  them, 
beyond  the  gracious  reception  which  they 
received  on  the  first  day  of  their  acquaintance. 
This  is  a  trait  peculiar  to  the  Russian  cha¬ 
racter,  and  I  believe  does  not  arise  from  a 
feeling  of  inhospitality,  or  coldness,  but  is 
owing  to  that  unceasing  gene  and  anxiety 
under  which  all  labour,  when  in  the  presence, 
or  even  in  the  neighbourhood,  of  the  so¬ 
vereign. 

I  have  met  with  many  Russians  in  Lon¬ 
don  and  Paris  who  were  quite  the  reverse, 
who  were  agreeable  companions,  fond  of  so¬ 
ciety,  open  and  friendly  in  their  dispositions. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


187 


I  need  only  notice  Count  S.  Potocki,*  as  an 
instance,  who  himself  was  the  promoter  of 
gaiety  in  all  around  him,  and  seemed  not  to 
have  a  care  in  the  world  except  to  make 
friends,  and  enliven  society.  View  them  and 
him  here,  they  seem  at  once  transformed  by 
the  wpid  of  a  magician  into  different  beings ; 
they  become  reserved,  cautious,  pre-occupied 
with  some  secret  source  of  anxiety,  which 
preys  incessantly  on  the  mind,  and  depresses 
the  spirits,  unfitting  them  for  all  the  common 
enjoyments  of  life,  and  making  them  alike 
indifferent  to  the  attractions  of  pleasure,  or 
the  charms  of  familiar  intercourse.  This  in¬ 
cubus  is  every  where  predominant, — it  per¬ 
vades  the  palace  and  the  cottage,  but  in  dif¬ 
ferent  degrees.  The  courtier  enjoys  it  in  all 
its  plenitude;  and  this  magnificent  city  is 
become  one  great  temple  of  dulness  and  en¬ 
nui.  Think  not,  however,  that  this  feeling 
of  awe  is  displeasing  to  the  Emperor,  or  that 
he  would  wish  to  see  the  manners  of  his  sub¬ 
jects  more  easy  and  less  constrained;  it  tallies 

*  The  untimely  death  of  this  amiable  nobleman,  who  fell  a 
victim  to  the  cholera  at  W arsaw,  created  a  feeling  of  sincere  re¬ 
gret  through  a  wider  circle  of  personal  friends,  in  Europe,  than  it 
often  falls  to  the  lot  of  any  private  individual  to  excite  out  of  hia 
own  country. 


188 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


completely  with  the  two  great  objects  which, 
by  the  nature  of  his  position,  he  is  compelled 
to  keep  constantly  in  view,  to  increase  the 
dread  of  his  power,  and  curb  a  proud  aristo¬ 
cracy,  which,  if  not  ruled  with  a  rod  of  iron, 
would  finish  by  ruling  him. 

Though  hedged  in  by  this  chevaux-de-frise 
of  fear  and  respect,  it  does  not  at  all  follow 
that  the  Emperor  should  turn  a  deaf  ear  to 
frank  and  honest  counsel  or  remonstrance, 
even  when  opposed  to  his  own  opinions,  if 
the  intention  be  evidently  good,  and  the 
manner  respectful.  He  has  been  known  on 
many  occasions  to  listen  with  great  conde¬ 
scension,  and  to  adopt  measures  which,  upon 
calm  reflection,  he  judged  to  be  preferable  to 
his  own.  The  difficulty  would  rather  be,  in 
the  present  state  of  servility,  to  find  a  man 
with  sufficient  moral  courage,  and  indepen¬ 
dent  spirit,  to  risk  such  a  step,  than  to  appre¬ 
hend  any  ill  success  from  the  generosity  of 
Nicholas. — But  such  men  are  not  wanting- 
in  Russia. 

A  friend  of  mine  said  to  me  the  other  day, 

I  know  that  we  are  surrounded  by  spies 
from  the  police;  that  every  word  is  eagerly 
caught  up,  and  retailed  sometimes  to  our  dis¬ 
advantage  ;  but  if  I  had  really  used  an  un- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


189 


guarded  expression,  or  done  any  act  which 
might  be  misconstrued,  I  would  go  at  once 
to  the  Emperor,  and  state  the  real  facts  my¬ 
self,  with  full  confidence  that  from  his  know¬ 
ledge  of  my  character,  he  would  treat  the 
affair  as  lightly  as  I  should  do  myself.” 

Ther^is  one  instance,  which  I  shall  have 
occasion  to  mention  in  a  future  letter,  when  I 
touch  upon  the  late  conspiracy,  which  will 
prove  that  the  Emperor  could  not  only  listen 
with  attention  to  the  free-spoken  counsels 
of  an  enemy,  but  could  even  adopt  them  with 
gratitude. 

In  such  cases,  however,  as  in  others,  any 
departure  from  that  personal  respect  which 
is  due  to  the  sovereign  would  always  be  vi¬ 
sited  with  severity.  The  Emperor  knows 
the  national  character  perfectly,  and  he  wise¬ 
ly  avoids  the  ill-judged  lenity  and  forbear¬ 
ance  of  his  predecessor,  which  produced  such 
fatal  consequences  to  himself. 

Two  instances  have  occurred  since  my 
arrival,  in  which  he  has  been  inflexible. 

General  - ,  the  late  governor  of  R - , 

and  General - ,  a  valuable  officer  in  the 

army,  both  in  the  warmth  of  their  remon¬ 
strances  on  some  subject  or  other,  departed 
from  that  respectful  demeanour  to  the  Em- 


190 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


peror  which  is  prescriptive  here,  and  were 
instantly  dismissed  from  the  service.  Nicho¬ 
las  was  fully  sensible  of  their  merits,  valued 
them  both  highly,  but  still  was  inexorable; 

and,  when  he  gave  the  government  of  R - 

to  that  highly  distinguished  officer.  General 

P - ,  in  order  to  give  a  public  testimony 

of  that  feeling,  he  expressed  to  him  a  hope, 
that  he  would  fulfil  the  duties  of  his  new  si¬ 
tuation  with  as  much  zeal  as  his  predecessor. 

The  failing  of  the  other  dismissed  General 
was  an  irresistible  impulse  to  make  unplea¬ 
sant  remarks  to  others,  and  this  unfortunate 
disposition  at  last  implicated  him  with  his 
sovereign.  An  anecdote  is  mentioned  of 
him  here  which  may  illustrate  that  propen¬ 
sity.  An  officer  who  was  under  his  com¬ 
mand,  made,  during  an  engagement,  a  very 
skilful  and  fortunate  manoeuvre  with  his  re¬ 
giment,  which  decided  the  success  of  the 
day.  General - ,  wishing  really  to  com¬ 

pliment  him  on  his  exploit,  remarked  to  him, 
that  his  manoeuvre  was  excellent;  in  fact, 
so  well  combined,  that  he  did  not  think  he 
had  the  sense  to  comprehend  how  scientific 
it  was. 

The  Mougik,  or  Russian  peasant,  is  kind 
and  docile ;  he  likes  spirits  to  excess,  but  his 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


191 


intoxication  is  only  hurtful  to  himself;  it  ra¬ 
ther  produces  torpor  than  excitement:  he 
falls  asleep  in  the  street,  and  is  frozen  to 
death;  but  he  never  disturbs  the  public  tran¬ 
quillity  by  drunken  brav^ls.  He  is  ignorant 
— few  can  either  read  or  write — but  his  in¬ 
tellect  ij5_ shrewd  and  acute:  ask  him  a  ques¬ 
tion,  he  will  give  a  smart  reply;  seek  his  opi¬ 
nion  on  any  subject,  and  you  will  frequently 
be  surprised  by  the  depth  of  his  remark. 
He  has  a  religion  of  his  own,  much  of  which 
consists  in  outward  signs ;  he  crosses  himself 
every  morning  before  he  begins  his  work, 
and  never  passes  a  church  without  the  same 
salutation  of  respect :  he  seems  the  creature 
of  his  position,  and  to  have  no  wish  beyond 
it.  This  respect  for  religion  is  very  general 
in  Russia,  and  is  not  limited  to  their  own, 
but  extends  to  all  other  creeds  and  sects.  The 
Greek  religion  is  the  religion  of  the  state,  but 
every  other  is  tolerated,  and  there  are  few  sects 
in  E  urope  who  have  not  their  proselytes  in  this 
vast  empire.  This  is  a  liberal  way  of  think¬ 
ing,  seldom  found  in  a  barbarous  country. 
Like  the  Roman  emperors  of  old,  the  sove¬ 
reign  here  unites  in  his  own  person  the  im¬ 
perial  and  pontifical  dignities.  In  his  quali¬ 
ty  of  supreme  head  of  the  church,  the  Em- 


192 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


peror  can  only  marry  a  princess  who  pro¬ 
fesses  the  same  belief,  or  has  abjured  her 
primitive  religion.  The  next  in  religious 
importance  to  the  Emperor  is  the  Archy- 
mandrite,  or  Archbishop  of  all  Russia;  then 
the  priestly  hierarchy,  and  the  Popes,  who 
perform  the  regular  duties  of  the  sacred  pro¬ 
fession.  The  holy  writings  are  still  pre¬ 
served  in  the  Sclavonian  language,  which  is 
the  root  of  the  Russian  and  Polish. 

The  convents  in  Russia  are  numerous,  and, 
in  general,  present  a  very  picturesque  ap¬ 
pearance,  with  their  Asiatic  cupolas,  and  the 
battlements  which  surround  them.  This  lat¬ 
ter  precaution  was  formerly  indispensable  to 
protect  them  from  the  inroads  of  the  Tartar 
tribes.  The  churches  are  still  more  numerous; 
in  Moscow  alone  were  reckoned  sorok  sorok- 
of,  or  forty  times  forty,  steeples;  and  even  in 
the  humble  village  you  may  sometimes  meet 
with  splendid  temples,  which  recall  to  mind 
those  of  Pagan  antiquity.  The  religious  ce¬ 
remonies  are  celebrated  with  great  pomp; 
the  robes  of  the  priests  are  very  splendid; 
and  the  Russians,  of  the  Greek  communion, 
count  many  festivals  in  their  calendar,  to 
which  they  adhere  very  scrupulously. 

One  is  at  a  loss  to  reconcile  this  regard 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


193 


for  religion,  with  the  marked  propensity 
which  the  Russian  exhibits  for  certain  habits, 
not  of  the  most  moral  description.  I  have 
alluded  to  his  intemperance,  but  I  am  sorry 
to  add,  that  thieving,  dissimulation,  and  a 
few  other  little  defects,  of  the  same  nature, 
form  an  ^tegral  part  of  the  national  charac¬ 
ter.  The  habit  of  privately  stealing  is  so  in¬ 
veterate,  and  so  notorious,  even  from  their 
origin,  that  towards  the  middle  of  the  seven¬ 
teenth  century  the  traveller  Oleabius  plea¬ 
santly  remarked,  “  If  you  wish  to  know  whe¬ 
ther  a  Russian  is  a  man  of  probity,  examine 
whether  hair  grows  in  the  palm  of  his  hand,  as 
it  is  the  only  sign  of  it  amongst  them.’^  The 
bump  of  appropriativeness  must  be  very  pro¬ 
minent  on  their  heads,  if  there  is  any  truth 
in  phrenology.  The  system  is  very  general, 
and  is  practised  with  great  effrontery.  Peter 
the  Great  seemed  well  aware  of  their  dexte¬ 
rity,  when  he  defied  the  Jews  to  circumvent 
his  own  subjects.  The  following  anecdote 
is  related  of  a  criminal,  condemned  to  the 
knout,  who  was  marching  to  the  place  of 
execution.  He  privately  approached  to  the 
executioner,  and  whispered  in  his  ear,  “Bro¬ 
ther,  if  you  will  moderate  your  stripes,  and 
spare  my  back,  these  five  hundred  roubles 
VOL.  I.— 17 


194 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


in  paper  are  yours,  and  I  solemnly  promise 
you  another  sum  of  equal  amount  after  the 
operation.”  Mr.  Ketch  concludes  the  treaty, 
takes  the  advance,  and  fulfils  his  part  of  the 
engagement.  On  his  return  home,  overjoyed 
with  his  prize,  he  takes  a  nearer  view  of  the 
notes,  and  finds  on  examination  that  they  are 
all  forged.  Such  effrontery  can  hardly  be 
conceived  at  such  a  moment,  and  is  remark¬ 
able  as  a  trait  of  character. 

Notwithstanding  the  rigorous  severity  of 
this  climate,  it  is  curious  to  observe  how  few 
seem  to  suffer  under  its  pernicious  influence, 
and  how  seldom  you  see  an  object  in  the 
streets  maimed  or  disfigured  by  the  frost.  I 
met  one,  indeed,  yesterday,  and  I  mention  it 
as  a  rare  occurrence,  who  had  lost  both  his 
hands  by  the  cold,  and  their  place  was  sup¬ 
plied  by  two  iron  hooks,  which  reduced  him, 
like  Horace’s  father,  to  the  necessity  of  wiping 
his  nose  with  his  elbow.  Suetonius  mentions 
that  the  poet  was  of  very  low  extraction,  the 
son  of  a  Salsamentarius,  or  fish-sal  ter,  whose 
hands,  being  all  day  immersed  in  the  brine- 
tub,  would  have  flayed  his  nose  by  the  con¬ 
tact,  and  left  him  no  other  resource.  When¬ 
ever  his  enemies  wished  to  taunt  Horace  with 
his  humble  birth,  they  would  sarcastically  ob- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


195 


serve,  Quoties  ego  vidi  patrem  tuum  cuhito 
emungentemr — Milton,  also,  uses  the  same 
expression  in  those  bitter  lines  which  he  wrote 
against  Salmatius,  the  advocate  of  Charles  I., 
beginning  with  Gaudete  rhomhi,^  Rejoice, 
ye  turbots ! 


Yours  ever. 


196 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


LETTER  XY. 


The  English  Quay  and  Chapel. — The  English  consul. — The  Eng'- 
lish  Ambassador. — Foreign  Corps  diplomatique. — Russian  Car¬ 
nival. — Masked  Divertissement. — Malleability  of  the  Russians. 
— Their  genius  for  Music. — Their  love  of  servitude. — Cupidity 
of  Slave-masters. — Russian  Literature. — Printing  in  Russia. 


Petersburg,  27th  January,  1830. 

My  dear - , 

On  the  banks  of  the  Neva,  commanding 
a  fine  view  of  the  fortress,  and  of  that  quarter 
of  the  city  which  is  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  is  a  long  range  of  well-built  houses, 
called  the  English  Line,  or  Quay,  on  which 
a  part  of  the  factory  still  reside,  though  it  was 
originally  intended  for  the  occupation  entire¬ 
ly  of  that  colony.  Here  also  is  the  English 
Chapel,  which  is  fitted  up  not  only  hand¬ 
somely,  but  in  very  good  taste ;  the  chaplain- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


197 


cy  is  worth  £800  per  annum,  with  a  good 
house,  and  the  use  of  a  tolerable  library, 
which,  when  the  price  of  provisions  is  con¬ 
sidered,  must  make  the  appointment  as  good 
as  the  generality  of  livings  in  England  of 
double  that  value. 

The  Jl^onsuhs  emoluments  are  superior  to 
those  in  any  other  country.  I  have  heard 
them  rated  at  100,000  roubles  per  annum., 
including  the  Hanoverian  agency:  this  si¬ 
tuation  is  held  by  Sir  Daniel  Bayley,  Knt., 
which  he  obtained  through,  the  interest  of 
Mr.  Samuel  Thornton,  his  late  partner  in 
London.  The  society  of  these  few  families 
is  limited  to  each  other;.,  they  have  little  in¬ 
tercourse  with  the  Russians,  and  do  not  seem 
forward  in  showing  hospitality  to  strangers. 

One  of  the  best  houses  in  this  line  is  oc¬ 
cupied  by  the  English  embassy,  and  I  should 
be  very  ungrateful  if  I  did  not  mention  the 
kind  and  hospitable  reception  which  I  expe¬ 
rienced  under  that  roof.  I  brought  with  me 

no  letter  of  introduction  to  Lord  H - ,  and 

knew  him  only  by  that  name,  which  had  ac¬ 
quired  a  European  celebrity;  but  from  the 
first  day  of  my  arrival  I  was  received  with  a 
cordiality  and  frankness,  which  gave  a  double 
value  to  his  repeated  invitations,  and  great 
17^ 


198 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


kindness  upon  all  occasions.^  He  is  a  great 
favourite ‘of  the  Emperor,  who  takes  every 
opportunity  of  expressing  his  real  regard  for 

*  The  successor,  of  Lord  H - ,  though  differing  widely  from 

him  in  politics,  has  also  been  very  fortunate  in  conciliating  the 
esteem  of  the  Emperor.  Few  ambassadors  have  ever  been  sent 
to  a  foreign  country  under  greater  disadvantages  than  those  which 

attended  the  Earl  of  D - ,  in  his  first  mission  to  Russia.  The 

active  part  which  he  had  taken  under  EarlGrey^s  government,  in 
the  sudden  measures  of  Reform,  and  the  exaggerated  reputation 
for  ultra-liberal  principles  which  had  preceded  him  at  St.  Peters¬ 
burg,  were  not  calculated  to  inspire  the  Emperor  at  first  with  any 
very  strong  feelings  in  his  favour;  but  his  open  manly  character, 
his  talents,  and  his  peculiarly  high-bred  manners,  soon  dispersed 
the  prejudice,  and  conciliated  the  personal  regard  and  esteem  of 
that  sovereign.  His  second  embassy,  therefore,  was  commenced 
under  much  more  favourable  auspices,  and  it  is  only  justice  to 
say,  that  his  activity  availed  itself  of  those  circumstances  to  for¬ 
ward  the  interests  of  England  on  all  occasions.  The  late  modifi¬ 
cation  of  duties  on  English  commodities,  though  partly  owing  to 
the  great  improvement  in  Russian  manufactures,  may  still  be  also 
imputed  to  his  earnest  interference,  though  the  jealousy  of  our 
French  neighbours  pretends  to  deny  it:  but  in  another  late  afl'air, 
which  has  been  kept  more  secret,  at  least  as  far  as  the  negotia¬ 
tions  are  concerned.  Lord  Dr - -  contributed  mainly  to  extricate 

his  own  government  out  of  a  dilemma,. which  might  have  led  to 
very  serious  consequences.  When  a  cabinet  commences  with  ob¬ 
lique  hints  of  menace,  which  it  does  not  feel  itself  competent  to 
enforce  when  brought  to  the  test,  it  may  require  a  skilful  negr. 
tiator  to  qualify  hasty  expressions,  and  secure  a  retreat  wdth  ho¬ 
nour,  though  founded  on  a  tardy  legal  opinion  which  puts  us  in 
the  wrong. 

It  will  soon  appear  that  this  affair  of  the  Vixen  \vas  nothing 
more  than  a  mischievous  manoeuvre,  got  up  by  the  Anglo-Polish 
party  in  London,  with  no  other  view  than  to  embroil  the  two  coun¬ 
tries,  and  to  produce  a  war  with  Russia. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


199 


him ;  and  he  has  studied  this  nation  so  suc¬ 
cessfully,  that  he  has  obtained  the  most  ac¬ 
curate  knowledge  of  their  views  and  charac¬ 
ter.  The  foreign  corps  diplomatique  at  Pe¬ 
tersburg  are  naturally  thrown  much  together 
in  a  capital  where  the  natives  contribute  so 
little  to  society.  The  Due  de  Mortemart  is 
the  French  ambassador  here :  he  is  not  very 
popular,  it  is  said,  with  the  Russians,  on  ac¬ 
count  of  some  private  theatricals  given  at  his 
hotel,  which  were  considered  as  personal ;  but 
I  believe  this  to  be  mere  ill-natured  gossip. 
Count  Fiquelmont  is  the  ambassador  from 
Austria,  Monsieur  de  Paez  from  Spain,  Count 
Ludolph  from  Naples,  Mr.  Palmystern  from 
Sweden,  and  Mr.  Haeckert  from  Holland. 
These  foreign  representatives  are  seldom  in¬ 
vited  to  court,  private  balls  are  sometimes 
given  by  the  Emperor  to  his  subjects,  but 
the  strangers  are  always  excluded. 

W e  are  now*  in  the  Russian  carnival,  durinof 
which  some  few  entertainments  will  be  given, 
and  it  is  considered  as  the  scene  of  Russian 
gaiety  for  the  year.  On  Sundays,  at  this 
period,  the  Emperor  gives  a  soiree,  which 
lasts  from  eight  to  ten^  at  the  Hermitage,  to 
which  the  three  ambassadors  of  England, 
France,  and  Austria,  are  occasionally  invited. 


200 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


with,  their  ladies ;  but  none  of  the  envoys  or 
ministers  from  other  courts.  It  is  said  to 
be  formal  and  dull  to  those  who  attend,  and 
creates  a  blank  in  the  public  amusements  of 
the  evening,  as  the  performers  of  both  the 
French  and  Italian  theatres  are  commanded 
to  act  before  the  imperial  family  at  the  pa¬ 
lace,  and  the  public  theatres  are  therefore 
shut  up.  A  circumstance,  however,  has  just 
transpired,  which,  whether  from  the  doubt¬ 
ful  success  resulting  from  it,  or  a  wish  to 
avoid  satirical  comments,  the  actors  them¬ 
selves  have  used  every  effort  to  keep  a  secret ; 
and  as  any  allusion  to  it  has  been  carefully 
avoided  in  society,  the  story  itself  is  not  ge¬ 
nerally  knowm  here.  The  Emperor  has  re¬ 
tired  during  the  holidays  with  his  family  to 
the  Anitchkoff  palace,  where  he  lives  in  a 
quiet,  unostentatious  manner — calls  the  Em¬ 
press,  in  joke,  Madame  Nicholas,  and  only 
comes  occasionally  to  the  Winter  Palace  for 
a  few  hours  on  the  days  of  ceremony,  or  pub¬ 
lic  reception. 

It  was  proposed  among  the  great  officers 
of  state,  and  of  the  household,  to  amuse  the 
Imperial  family  with  the  sudden  arrival  of  a 
masked  divertissement  travestie,  on  twelfth 
night.  The  characters  were  all  taken  from 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


201 


the  ancient  mythology.  I  wish  I  could  give 
you  all  the  dramatis  personae,  but  the  follow¬ 
ing  may  enable  you  to  form  an  idea  of  the 
inverted  mode,  in  which  the  heathen  divini¬ 
ties  were  personified. 

Diana. — Count  S.  P — — .  You  are  ac¬ 
quainted  with  his  person,  which  is  sufficient* 
The  nine  Muses  in  her  train  enacted  by  nine 
stout  and  corpulent  officers. 

Venus. — The  Prince  Y - ,  nearly  of  the 

same  proportions. 

Three  Graces, — Count  L — — ,  who  is  very 
old,  and  nearly  blind,  with  two  contempo¬ 
raries. 

Hercules. — Madame  A - ,  who  has  near 

ly  the  slightest  figure  in  Petersburg. 

Vulcan. — Madame  Z - ,  a  very  hand¬ 

some  and  graceful  woman. 

Time. — Was  to  have  been  acted  by  a  little 
child,  who  was  taken  ill,  and  unable  to  at¬ 
tend;  of  which  circumstance  Vulcan  availed 
herself,  when  out  in  her  part,  by  saying,  ‘‘  Le 
Temps  nous  a  manque.''' 

Diana  appeared  leading  in  the  Emperor’s 
favourite  dog.  Hussar, — and  all  recited  some 
appropriate  verses  in  Russian  and  in  French 
the  former  were  written  by  Pouchkin,  and 
the  latter  by  Monsieur  B -  of  the  - 


202 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


embassy.  There  is  a  malicious  report  of  ten 
Muses^  owing  to  a  similar  mistake  made  by 
Count  Romanzow  on  the  frieze  in  front  of 
the  great  library  which  he  built  on  the  Eng¬ 
lish  Quay;  but  the  world  is  so  ill-natured 
that  they  will  say  any  thing.  It  does  not 
appear  that  the  result  of  this  performance 
quite  answered  the  expectations  which  the 
actors  had  promised  to  themselves.  The  on 
dit  is, — V Imperatrice  a  ete  plus  etonnee  qu'a- 
musee.  VEmpereur  a  souri  avec  hienveillance 
d  un  effort,  il  est  vrai  un  peu  grotesque,  pour 
attirer  ses  augustes  regards.  Perhaps,  it  also 
gratified  him  in  a  political  point  of  view.  At 
all  events  it  was  a  singular  exhibition,  when 
the  ages  generally  of  the  individuals  con¬ 
cerned,  and  the  reserved  conduct  uniformly 
maintained  here  in  presence  of  the  sovereign, 
are  taken  into  consideration.  Moliere  would 
say  to  these  courtiers, — 

Allons  ferme,  poussez,  mes  bons  amis  de  cour, 

Vous  n’en  epargnez  point,  et  chacun  a  son  tour. 

Mirabeau  remarked  in  his  time,,  that  the 
Russian  people  were  the  most  malleable  race 
that  ever  existed ;  and  it  is  a  very  just  defini¬ 
tion  of  their  character.  Look  at  a  young 
mougik ;  when  first  taken  from  his  paternal 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


203 


cabin,  he  is  awkward,  timid, — in  fact,  little 
removed  from  the  savage:  tw^o  months  are 
sufficient  to  transform  him  into  a  good  sol¬ 
dier,  or  an  active  servant.  The  process  of 
education  is,  perhaps,  melancholy  to  relate, 
and  difficult  to  believe,  but  it  is  efficacious. 
The  cane  and  the  whip  perform  the  miracle 
in  most  instances. 

A  master  will  say  to  his  slave,  You  must 
be  a  musician;^’  to  another,  ‘‘You  must  be  a 
tailor.”  If  either  murmurs,  he  is  beat;  and 
this  method  is  continued  till  the  one  pro¬ 
duces  a  tolerable  coat,  or  the  other  sings  a 
national  air  in  good  tune,  or  can  join  in  a 
chorus.  It  is  with  these  crude  materials  that 
the  Russians  have  found  the  secret  of  organ¬ 
izing  their  great  military  force.  The  pea¬ 
sant,  before  he  is  completely  formed  to  the 
profession  of  a  soldier,  undergoes  privations 
and  sufferings  innumerable ;  but  this  ordeal 
once  passed,  he  acquires  a  constitution  of 
iron ;  like  the  cement,  which  becomes  more 
hard  from  exposure  to  the  open  air,  the  Rus¬ 
sian  soldier  is  hardy,  indefatigable,  proof 
against  the  inclemencies  of  the  seasons,  en¬ 
during  hunger  and  thirst  with  patience,  and 
fearing  more  the  cane  of  his  officer  than  the 
cannon  of  the  enemy.  The  impassibility  of 


204 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


the  Muscovite  under  fire  is  almost  proverbial ; 
and  if  passive,  mechanical  courage,  is  the  es¬ 
sence  of  a  good  soldier,  it  is  certainly  to  be 
found  in  the  Russian  ranks. 

The  nation  has  undoubtedly  a  genius  for 
music.  Many  of  the  old  nobles  at  Moscow 
have  a  complete  orchestra  in  their  palaces, 
formed  out  of  the  numerous  servants  in  their 
establishments.  Their  natural  talent  has  in¬ 
deed  been  improved  by  instruction;  but  in 
the  wild  steppes,  and  barbarous  provinces, 
the  Russian  peasant  will  himself  fabricate 
his  own  halaleikay  a  species  of  mandoline, 
and  accompany  it  with  his  voice,  in  notes  of 
a  very  wild  but  pleasing  melody.  The  mu¬ 
sicians  at  all  the  public  theatres  are  origi¬ 
nally  taken  from  this  class,  and  are  very  good 
performers.  One  anecdote  will  show  the 
general  indisposition  which  exists  even  in 
these  artists  to  break  the  bonds  of  servitude. 

At  the  national  theatre  of  Moscow,  after 
the  curtain  had  dropped,  an  actor  stepped 
forward  to  announce  to  the  public,  that  he 
had  purchased  his  liberty,  and  was  about  to 
leave  the  stage.  This  circumstance,  from  its 
rarity,  created  much  conversation  at  the  mo¬ 
ment,  ^and  the  question  was  asked  of  a  musi¬ 
cian  present,  why  he  did  not  follow  such  a 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


205 


laudable  example.  ‘‘Ah!”  replied  he,  with 
a  sigh,  “  Serf  God  has  made  me,  serf  I  have 
lived,  and  serf  I  shall  die.  While  I  continue 
punctually  to  pay  my  ahrok  to  my  master, 
he  is  under  the  obligation  to  lodge,  to  feed 
me,  my  wife,  and  my  children,  when  in 
health,  ^and  to  take  care  of  us  when  sick. 
Would  liberty  then  procure  to  us  equivalent 
advantages,  when  reduced  to  the  scanty  sa¬ 
lary  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  roubles,  which 
is  all  I  receive  from  the  managers  of  this 
theatre?  In  my  position  as  a  slave,  I  am 
readily  admitted  to  a  secondary  situation  in 
the  orchestra,  but  as  a  freedman,  it  would  be 
a  different  thing, — my  talents  would  be  ques¬ 
tioned,  and  my  pretensions  viewed  with  jea¬ 
lousy.  No,  no !  serf  I  was  born,  serf  I  have 
lived,  and  serf  I  will  die.” 

This  sentiment  is  much  more  generally 
prevalent  than  the  world  imagines.  A  feel¬ 
ing  of  immediate  personal  interest  stifles  ‘in 
this  humble  race  those  aspirations  for  liberty 
which  nature  must  have  implanted  in  their 
breasts,  in  common  with  her  other  children ; 
and,  if  any  doubt  could  exist  on  that  subject, 
it  vanishes  at  once  in  the  institution  of  an 
annual  fete,  when  the  natural  bias  is  ex¬ 
pressed  in  a  very  affecting  manner. 

VOL.  I. — 18 


206 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


On  that  day  the  people  hnrry  in  crowds 
to  the  market-place,  anxious  to  purchase  all 
the  birds  that  are  on  sale,  and  restore  them 
to  their  native  air,  amidst  the  joyous  cheers 
of  the  assembled  multitude.  There  is  some¬ 
thing  melancholy  in  this  allegorical  allusion 
to  their  own  hapless  position. 

It  is  not  so  much  in  Petersburg,  as  in  the 
provinces  of  the  interior,  that  the  slaves  are 
subjected  to  very  humiliating  acts  of  servi¬ 
tude  ;  there  the  master,  free  from  observation, 
listens  only  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  caprice, 
and  treats  them  often  with  cruelty  and  op¬ 
pression.  Much  has  been  done  by  the  last 
two  Emperors  to  repress  this  system  of  do¬ 
mestic  tyranny,  but  it  is  easy  to  conceive 
the  facility  with  which  these  salutary  regu¬ 
lations  may  be  evaded  by  those  who  are  far 
removed  from  the  seat  of  government. 

The  slave  as  a  mechanic  is  clever  and  in¬ 
dustrious;  not  inventive,  but  successful  in 
imitation,  though  his  talent  is  cried  down  by 
those  who  ought  to  encourage  it. 

In  all  the  shops  and  bazars  the  tradesmen 
are  anxious  to  recommend  their  wares  as  of 
foreign  manufacture.  The  common  remark 
on  every  thing  ill-executed  is,  that  it  is  Rus¬ 
sian  workmanship ;  but  I  believe  many  arti- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


207 


cles  are  sold  as  English  or  French  which 
have  been  fabricated  at  home.  This  is  done 
chiefly  to  attract  the  Russian  nobles  them¬ 
selves,  who,  though  well  able  to  appreciate 
the  works  of  art,  have  a  natural  prejudice 
against  the  produce  of  the  indigenous  indus¬ 
try,  andHiave  a  great  partiality  for  every 
thing  that  comes  from  abroad.  The  same 
will  apply  also  to  foreign  artists,  even  of  mo¬ 
derate  talent,  who  will  often  be  received  with 
enthusiasm,  while  a  native,  with  superior 
acquirements,  may  remain  in  obscurity  and 
neglect.  But  I  will  not  enlarge  upon  this 
subject,  as  it  may  be  equally  applicable  to 
our  own  country.  * 

There  is  perhaps  another  cause  which 
tends  to  check  and  paralyze  the  exertions  of 
the  Russian  slaves,  and  that  is  the  cupidity 
of  the  masters.  They  often  strive  in  vain  to 
obtain  the  privilege  of  working  at  some  han¬ 
dicraft  trade,  with  a  view  of  gaining  enough 
to  purchase  their  liberty;  and  often  does  the 
encroaching  boyard  disappoint  their  calcula¬ 
tions  by  seizing  the  little  hoard  of  his  vassals, 
and  appropriating  it  to  his  own  use.  To 
avoid  these  oppressive  exactions  the  unfor¬ 
tunate  peasants  have  been  known  to  bury 
their  secret  treasure,  and  to  have  died  before 


208 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


they  could  apprize  their  children  of  the  spot 
in  which  it  was  concealed. 

To  talk  of  Russian  literature,  is  to  talk  of 
that  which  does  not  exist,  and  never  has  ex¬ 
isted  :  other  countries  have  had  their  ancient 
bards  and  historians  of  their  early  days;  but 
even  the  chronicles  of  this  country  have  been 
handed  down  from  the  recollections  of  their 
neighbours;  and,  up  to  the  present  time, 
Russia  has  never  produced  a  man  of  erudi¬ 
tion  who  has  made  any  real  sensation  in  the 
literary  world.  Pouschkin  is  now  lauded  to 
the  skies  by  his  countrymen ;  hut  every  thing 
is  great  by  comparison;  and  they  are  well 
aware  that  they  need  fear  no  contradiction, 
while  their  own  language  is  lettre  close  to  the 
rest  of  Europe.  There  is,  I  see,  a  growing 
propensity  to  novel  writing ;  hut  two  or  three 
of  these  productions  which  I  have  read  in  a 
French  garh^  possess  little  talent  or  originali¬ 
ty.  They  are,  evidently,  feeble  imitations 
of  the  German  or  Parisian  school,  without 
any  forcible  delineations  of  character :  they 
abound  in  common-place  incident,  show  lit¬ 
tle  knowledge  of  real  life,  and  disdain  to  give 
the  reader  any  information  on  that  point 
wRich  would  be  really  new  and  interesting — 
the  every-day  habits  and  occupations  of  Rus¬ 
sian  life. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


209 


It  may  be,  and  still  is  urged,  that  Knssia 
is  only  in  her  infancy ;  but  then  look  around 
at  America,  who,  in  point  of  date,  is  a  new¬ 
born  child  to  the  former,  and  see  the  rapid 
strides  which  education  and  genius  have 
there  made  under  the  fostering  help  of  free 
institutions.  Russia,  in  her  present  extended 
form,  is  not  in  her  infancy;  she  may  be 
likened  to  an  overgrown  lad,  with  the 
strength  of  a  giant,  but  still  kept  in  leading- 
strings,  who  can  deal  about  sturdy  blows  to 
his  playmates,  but  is  placed  at  the  bottom  of 
his  class,  and  is  learning  his  rudiments, 
while  they  are  construing  Virgil.  And  yet, 
in  this  backward  state  of  instruction  through¬ 
out  the  land,  I  have  heard  many  thinking 
persons  of  the  higher  classes  (and  it  is  evi¬ 
dent  I  do  not  speak  of  them,  but  of  the 
masses)  say,  All  this  is  very  true ;  much 
change  must  eventually  be  accomplished, — 
but,  for  Heaven’s  sake,  let  it  be  gradual;  let 
not  the  march  of  intellect  be  too  rapidly  pro¬ 
moted  here ;  w^e  have  much  more  to  fear  from 
the  sudden  introduction  of  light,  than  from 
our  present  darkness.” , 

This  opinion,  too,  is  entertained  at  a  time 
when  all  the  nations  in  Europe  are  entering 
the  lists  against  each  other  in  the  great  race 


210 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


for  public  improvement,  when  human  intel¬ 
lect  becomes  daily  more  expanded,  when  in¬ 
vention  succjeeds  to  invention,  when  steam 
has  begun  its  awful  progress  to  assist  science, 
and  when  a  rage  for  that  visionary  object, 
called  perfectibility,  is  gaining  ground  in 
every  part  of  the  globe.  ^  Where  is  this  tor¬ 
rent  to  stop?  At  the  gates  of  Polangen,  be¬ 
fore  a  dike  bristling  with  bayonets.  Is  the 
thing  in  itself  feasible,  I  would  ask?  Reason, 
uninvited  perhaps,  but  a  persevering  guest, 
will  infallibly  arrive ;  she  will  sit  down  be¬ 
fore  the  blue  and  white  posts  of  the  Russian 
barrier ;  there  she  will  say  in  a  plaintive  tone 
to  the  opposing  phalanxes, — 

Vous  me  chassez,  mais  j’espere 
Avoir  mon  tour,  et  j’attens ; 

Car  je  suis  fille  du  Temps, 

Et  j’obtiens  tout  de  mon  p6re. 

If  there  are  no  writers  of  importance  in 
Russia,  there  are  also  no  translators;*  the 

*  Since  these  letters  were  written,  an  impulse  has  been  given 
to  Russian  literature.  In  the  year  1836,  six  hundred  and  seventy- 
four  original  works,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty -four  translations 
were  published  in  Russia.  This  number  of  books  greatly  exceeds 
that  of  1835,  and  denotes  the  progress  of  mental  improvement. 
Scientific  works,  dramas,  and  school  books,  seem  to  have  in¬ 
creased,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  novels  and  romances  have  de¬ 
creased.  Three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  volumes  of  foreign 
books  were  imported  into  Russia  in  that  year,  one-half  of  which 
were  bought  at  St.  Petersburg. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


211 


few,  therefore,  who  have  a  taste  for  study, 
and  a 'wish  to  become  acquainted  with  fo¬ 
reign  works,  must  read  them  in  the  original 
language,  which  is  always  a  great  advantage. 
For  this  the  Russians  have  peculiar  facili¬ 
ties,  as  their  aptness  in  learning  foreign 
tongues^^ is  remarkable.  With  some  few  ex¬ 
ceptions,  what  translation  can  be  cited  that 
has  ever  rendered  the  proper  spirit  of  the 
original  ?  The  great  masterpieces  of  writing, 
which  have  a  characteristic  type  of  their  own, 
are  untranslatable;  Horace,  Juvenal,  Shak- 
speare,  Racine,  Dante,  Ariosto,  are  almost 
unintelJigible  to  those  who  have  not  studied 
them  in  their  natural  form;  and  then,  out  of 
the  mass  of  translators,  how  few  of  them  are 
qualified  for  the  office?  The  first  and  chief 
requisite  is  in  itself  a  rarity,  which  is,  the 
power  not  only  of  writing  fluently,  but  of 
thinking  profoundly,  in  two  different  lan¬ 
guages;  the  next  is,  that  of  entering  with 
feeling  into  the  genius  and  conceptions  of 
the  author  before  you;  this,  perhaps,  is  even 
more  difficult.  The  Romans  seem  to  have 
held  translators  in  little  value,  as  they  have 
not  left  us  one  translation  from  the  Greek 
which  may  rank  amongst  the  classics. 

The  art  of  printing  is  as  well  known  in 


212 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


Russia  as  in  other  countries,  but  from  the 
unlettered  state  of  the  inhabitants,  and  the 
rigorous  censure  established  by  the  govern¬ 
ment,  it  is  far  from  producing  the  same  re¬ 
sults  as  in  Europe.  It  will,  probably  in  time, 
be  the  means  of  civilizing  this  vast  empire, 
and  by  that  time,  perhaps,  may  be  conduct¬ 
ing  us  back  to  barbarism ;  such  is  the  fate  of 
sublunary  rotations !  You  may  call  it  a  rhap¬ 
sody,  but  the  present  abuse  of  printing  may 
finish  by  vitiating  public  taste,  and  under¬ 
mining  the  foundations  of  literature.  As  an 
engine,  the  press  is  tremendous  in  whichever 
way  it  may  work ;  it  is  passive  without  intel¬ 
ligence,  it  is  obedient  without  judgment;  it 
propagates  both  the  good  and  the  bad ;  it  has 
imparted  vast  information,  but  it  dissemi¬ 
nates  myriads  of  errors  and  follies ;  and  as 
the  number  of  judicious  and  enlightened 
writers  is  very  small,  when  compared  to  that 
of  the  opposite  class,  there  is  no  end  to  the 
deluge  of  mischief,  ignorance,  and  trash, 
which  is  now  pouring  in  upon  us. 

It  is  like  the  excess  in  opium  and  dram¬ 
drinking, — it  may  stimulate  life,  but  it  has¬ 
tens  death.  Yours  ever. 


END  OF  VOL.  I. 


THE 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAE; 

OR,  A 

Visfx  TO  ST.  PETERSBURG, 


THE  WINTER  OF  1829-30. 

BY  THOMAS  RAIKES,  ESQ. 


A  chiel ’s  amang  ye  takin’  notes, 

And  faith  he’ll  prent  ’em.  burns. 


IN  TWO  VOLUMES. 
VOL.  II. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

LEA  &  BLANCHARD, 

SUCCESSORS  TO  CARET  &  CO. 


1S38. 


.i 


m 


■V*.- 

4. 


t 


-«■ 


•  ( 

*  ^  ' 


GRIGGS  &  CO.,  PRIKTKRS. 


:i 

'M  ■ 

-i  '  .k  * 


CONTENTS 


OF 


VOLUME  SECOND. 


LETTER  XVI. 


Plot  against  the  Government. — Its  failure. — Firmness  of  Nicho¬ 
las. — Arrest  of  Trubetzkoy. — His  treachery  and  punishment. — 
The  Emperor’s  clemency. — Fate  of  the  prominent  Conspirators. 
— Interview  between  his  Majesty  and  Pestell. — Execution  of 
the  latter. — Madame  L - . — The  Turkish  Embassy.  Page  13 


LETTER  XVII. 

Halib  Pacha’s  audience  of  the  Emperor. — Russian  Orders. — 
The  Carnival. — A  Russian  Ball. — Restraint  in  Society. — Prudes 
and  Coquettes. — Social  morals. — Prejudice  against  mourning. — 
Prince  Yousoupotf. — His  appearance  at  a  Ball  given  by  the 
Due  de  Mortemart. — His  Wealth. — Anecdote. — Whist- playing, 
— Gambling  anecdotes.  ....  26 


LETTER  XVIII. 


Russian  patriotism. — Heroism  of  Rostopschin. — Its  important  ef¬ 
fects. — Ingratitude  towards  him  of  the  Emperor  and  the  na- 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


tion. — Alexander’s  conduct  on  the  invasion  of  Napoleon. — Burn¬ 
ing  of  Moscow. — Disastrous  retreat  of  the  French. — Subsequent 
success  of  the  Russian  arms. — Its  effect  on  the  policy  of  the 
nation.  ....  -  Page  38 


LETTER  XIX. 

I’he  Emperor  Nicholas  in  London  when  a  young  man. — The 
Waltz  and  the  Quadrille. — Personal  appearance  and  manners  of 
his  Imperial  Majesty. — The  Empress. — Grand  Ball  at  the  Win¬ 
ter  Palace. — Count  Nesselrode  and  Capo  d’Istrias — Their  rise 
to  power. — Revolution  in  Naples. — The  Greek  question. — Mu¬ 
tinous  symptoms  of  the  Guards  in  Petersburg. — Insurrection  in 
Piedmont. — Policy  of  Austria. — Resignation  of  Capo  d’Istrias. — 
General  Bubna. — Lord  K - . — Anecdotes.  -  55 


LETTER  XX. 

Prince  Metternich  challenged  to  fight  a  duel  by  the  Emperor 
Alexander. — Details  connected  with  this  curious  circumstance. — 
Ceremonies  at  the  Carnival. — Entertainment  at  the  House  of 
the  English  Embassy. — The  Mazourka. — The  Supper. — An  in¬ 
truder. — Display  of  beauty. — Presence  of  the  Emperor  and  Em¬ 
press. — Mal-k-propos  selection  of  a  Comedy.  -  73 


LETTER  XXL 

Heterogeneous  mass  of  Legislation. — Contradictory  Statutes. — 
Curious  Trial. — A  ramble  in  the  neighbourhood  of  St.  Peters¬ 
burg. — Humble  equipage  of  the  Emperor. — His  Character. — 
Russian  Dinners. — Fish  abounding  in  the  Wolga.  •  89 


CONTENTS. 


Vll 


LETTER  XXII. 

Murders  committed  with  impunity. — Instance  of  presence  of 
Mind. — A  Masquerade. — Tzarskoe  Zeloe. — Alexander  in  his 
Retreat.  -  -  -  -  -  Page  107 


LETTER  XXIII. 


The  Imperial  Stables. — Carriages  for  the  Imperial  Family. — Hou¬ 
sings,  Saddles,  &c. — Hazard-table. — Another  Masquerade. — 
Heroine  of  the  Night. — Awe  of  the  Emperor. — His  despotic 
power. — Exorbitant  taxation  of  foreign  manufactures. — Impro¬ 
bability  of  any  attempt  by  Russia  on  our  Indian  Possessions.  116 


LETTER  XXIV. 


Strict  observance  of  Lent. — The  Russian  Carnival. — Inspection  of 
a  Regiment  on  Parade. — Duties  of  a  Governor  in  the  provinces. 
— Municipal  regulations. — Napoleon’s  Mameluke. — Triumphal 
arch. — The  Field  of  Mars. — English  politics.  -  125 


LETTER  XXV. 


Barbarous  and  inhospitable  Custom. — Russian  Climate. — Travel¬ 
ling  on  the  Ice. — French  table  d’hote. — Espionage. — Turkish 
Law. — Instance  of  the  Administration  of  Justice  in  Constanti¬ 
nople.  -  -  ....  134 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER  XXVL 


Arrangements  for  leaving  St.  Petersburg. — Population  of  that 
capital. — ^Apparent  happiness  of  the  People. — Their  filthy 
dress. — Charity  of  the  Russians. — No  instances  of  Suicide  in 
Russia. — Policy  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas. — Speculations  as  to 
the  future  influence  of  Russia. — Adieu  to  the  City  of  the  Czar. 
Page  -  .  -  .  «  .  Page  143 

152 


Genealogy  of  the  Sovereigns. 

ADDENDA.  . 


164 


r 


THE 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


LETTER  XVI. 

Plot  against  the  Government. — Its  failure. — Firmness  of  Nicho¬ 
las. — Arrest  of  Trubetzkoy. — His  treachery  and  punishment. — 
The  Emperor’s  clemency. — Fate  of  the  prominent  Conspirators. 
— Interview  between  his  Majesty  and  Pestell. — Execution  of 
the  latter. — Madame  L - . — The  Turkish  Embassy. 

Petersburg,  5th  February,  1530. 

My  DEAR  - , 

It  is  a  singular  circumstance,  but.  not 
the  less  true,  that  some  of  the  best  rudiments 
for  governing  this  impracticable  people  were 
imparted  to  the  Emperor  at  his  accession,  by 
one  of  the  chief  conspirators  in  the  year  18*25. 
The  plot  had  been  brewing  against  the  go¬ 
vernment  for  several  years  previously  to  its 
explosion;  its  existence  was  well  known  to 
VOL.  II. — 2 


14 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


Alexander  through  divers  channels,  and, 
though  the  natural  lenity  of  his  character . 
prevented  him  from  adopting  any  rigorous 
measures  to  sift  the  affair  to  the  bottom,  his 
apprehensions  on  the  subject  had  tended  very 
much  to  imbitter  the  latter  period  of  his  ex¬ 
istence.  Its  precise  object  seems  never  to 
have  been  exactly  defined  even  by  the  au¬ 
thors.  It  originated,  doubtless,  with  the  no¬ 
bles,  in  a  wish  to  relieve  themselves  from 
their  despotic  dependence  on  the  crown,  and 
in  a  dread  of  those  measures  for  emancipating 
the  serfs,  which  the  liberal  spirit  of  Alexan¬ 
der  was  anxious  to  enforce,  and  which  they 
considered  as  trenching  on  their  rights,  and 
invading  their  properties. 

A  portion  of  the  army  was  engaged  in  the 
cause,  which  necessarily  included  the  impli¬ 
cation  of  numberless  young  men,  who,  with 
less  prudence  and  more  enthusiasm  than  the 
original  promoters,  gave  greater  latitude  to 
their  views,  and  contemplated  a  more  decided 
overthrow  of  the  whole  system.  It  is  now 
confidently  but  privately  asserted,  that  they 
had  determined  on  murdering,  not  only  the 
Imperial  family,  but  the  whole  foreign  corps 
diplomatique ^  in  order  that  they  might,  in  case 
of  success,  free  themselves  at  once  from  all 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


15 


interference  of  other  nations.  Rebellion  in 
Russia  has  never  been  unaccompanied  with 
bloodshed,  and  in  no  country  under  the  sun 
is  human  life  considered  of  so  little  value. 

The  previous  campaigns  in  Europe  had 
prob^fbly  introduced  new-fangled  ideas  of 
liberty  in  Russia,  as  the  American  war  had 
formerly  infused  the  same  spirit  into  France, 
but  with  this  difference  in  the  result,  that 
the  Russian  conspirator  sought  emancipation 
only  for  himself,  and  a  confirmation  of  slavery 
to  his  fellow-subjects. 

The  contagion,  no  doubt,  had  spread  very 
widely,  hut  the  systematic  projects  of  the 
original  authors  were  lost  in  the  wild  theories 
of  the  young  and  newly-initiated  members; 
and  while  the  tail  of  the  conspiracy  increased 
in  strength  and  numbers,  the  head  became 
gradually  eclipsed. 

Numberless  instances  of  mad  boasting  and 
incautious  conduct  occurred  in  society.  San¬ 
guine  young  men,  who  felt  themselves  in¬ 
spired  to  enact  the  parts  of  Brutus  and  Cas¬ 
sius,  had  the  indiscretion  to  utter  dark  hints 
in  public,  and  predict  events,  which  were 
fortunately  doomed  to  be  stifled  in  their 
birth. 

The  public  mind  was  alarmed  at  a  state  of 


16 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


things  so  novel  in  Petersburg,  where  the 
liberty  of  speech  had  always  been  subjected 
to  such  severe  restraint;  and  every  one  looked 
at  his  neighbour  in  awful  expectation  of  se¬ 
rious  reprisals  on  the  part  of  government. 
But  Alexander  was  absent;  he  was  either 
travelling  in  the  Crimea,  or  shut  up  in  re¬ 
tirement.  He  disdained  to  notice,  though  he 
must  have  known,  these  hair-brained  fan- 
faronnades,  and  the  authors  remained  un¬ 
punished. 

The  conspiracy  itself  was  deep  and  dan¬ 
gerous;  its  growth  was  fostered  by  impunity; 
but  two  circumstances  alone  seem  to  have 
brought  about  its  failure,  and  rendered  its 
object  abortive.  These  two  circumstances 
were,  the  sudden  death  of  Alexander,  which 
rendered  imperative  its  immediate  explosion, 
and  the  unripe  state  in  which,  from  a  want 
of  fit  and  unanimous  leaders,  the  whole  or¬ 
ganization  of  the  plot  still  continued  to  exist. 
Without  time  to  define  any  absolute  plan  of 
operations,  without  even  any  decided  object 
in  view,  or  proper  leaders  selected  to  head 
their  ill-judged  enterprise,  it  became  neces¬ 
sary  to  throw  off  the  mask  at  once,  and  move 
the  troops  into  action.  With  such  disjointed 
elements  success  was  barely  possible;  and 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


17 


the  hurried  choice  which  they  made  at  the 
moment  of  P.  Trubetzkoy,  to  lead  the  attack, 
who  had  neither  the  conduct  nor  the  courage 
requisite  for  such  a  trying  occasion,  put  the 
finishing  stroke  to  their  discomfiture. 

ThjB-  cry  of  rebellion  was  raised,  and  was 
at  once  met  by  Nicholas  with  unshaken 
firmness.  He  had  taken  every  precaution  at 
the  moment  in  rallying  round  him  those  of¬ 
ficers  and  troops  whose  fidelity  was  unsus¬ 
pected,  and  thus  displayed  a  bold  front  to  his 
adversaries.  There  was  no  time  for  parley ; 
their  murderous  intentions  were  soon  too  ap¬ 
parent,  when  a  volley  of  musketry  was  heard, 
and  the  brave  Miloradovitch,  aide-de-camp 
of  the  Emperor,  was  killed  by  the  side  of  his 
sovereign.  At  this  time  the  firmness  of 
mind  and  bravery  of  Nicholas  became  most 
conspicuous.  He  advanced  in  front  of  the 
line,  and  ordered  the  cannon  to  be  fired  on 
the  rebels,  which  was  done  with  great  effect. 
The  craven-heart  of  Trubetzkoy  failed  him 
in  the  hour  of  danger;  he  deserted  his  post 
and  fled,  overcome  with  fear,  to  seek  refuge 
.in  the  house  of  Mr.  De  Lebezeltern,  the 
Austrian  Ambassador,  who  was  his  brother- 
in-law  by  marriage.  After  this  desertion  of 
their  chief,  the  revolted  bands  became  dis- 

VOL.  II. — 3 


18 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


heartened,  and  the  fortune  of  the  day  was 
decided.  Fresh  troops,  on  whom  dependence 
could  be  placed,  were  brought  up,  and,  be¬ 
fore  two  o’clock,  the  courage  and  energy  of 
the  Emperor  had  established  his  authority 
beyond  all  doubt. 

One  of  the  first  effects  of  returning  tran¬ 
quillity  was  an  order  from  the  Emperor  to 
arrest  Trubetzkoy,  which  was  intrusted  to 
Prince  Gallitzin.  He  was  dragged  from  his 
concealment,  and  brought  to  the  imperial 
palace,  where  his  abject  submission  only 
rendered  his  previous  conduct  more  mean 
and  contemptible.  Regardless  of  all  those 
ties  which,  however  bad  the  cause,  had 
bound  him  to  his  former  friends  and  asso¬ 
ciates,  he  scrupled  not,  under  the  impulse  of 
fear,  to  betray  every  secret  of  the  plot  in 
which  they  had  mutually  been  engaged ;  he 
gave  up  every  paper  in  his  possession,  and 
the  name  of  every  family,  or  individual, 
whom  it  was  in  his  power  to  criminate; 
names,  indeed,  of  high  importance,  some  of 
which  had  never  been  implicated  by  a  ru¬ 
mour  of  suspicion.  Having  thus  filled  up 
the  measure  of  his  treachery,  first  to  his  so¬ 
vereign,  and  then  to  his  colleagues  in  rebel¬ 
lion,  he  exhibited  the  lowest  point  at  which 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


19 


human  degradation  can  arrive,  by  falling  at 
the  feet  of  his  imperial  master,  and  begging 
that  his  life  might  be  spared.  The  reply  of 
Nicholas  must  have  intimated  to  him,  if  he 
had  any  feeling  left,  the  sovereign  contempt 
whiclrhis  conduct  had  inspired.  You  may 
live,”  said  he,  if  you  can  think  life  v^orth 
retaining  under  such  circumstances.”  He 
was  banished  to  Siberia. 

The  next  step,  and  the  most  delicate, 
which,  while  it  proves  the  talent  and  address 
of  the  Emperor,  speaks  not  less  highly  for  the 
magnanimity  and  real  greatness  of  his  cha¬ 
racter,  was  the  examination  of  those  hitherto 
unsuspected  persons,  who  had  been  so  mean¬ 
ly  betrayed  by  the  recreant  Trubetzkoy. 
Some  of  these  individuals  were  of  superior 
rank  and  situation  in  the  empire,  belonging  to 
high  and  noble  families,  whose  names  were 
connected  with  former  brilliant  services  to 
the  state,  which  could  never  be  forgotten. 

Foremost  in  this  class  stood  Colonel - . 

The  Emperor  -  summoned  him  to  his  pre¬ 
sence,  totally  unconscious  of  the  treachery 
which  had  been  practised  upon  him :  he  then 
showed  him  the  papers,  which  were  to  prove 
his  guilt,  and  while  the  abashed  culprit  stood 


20 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


conscience-struck  in  his  presence,  he  nobly 
threw  them  unopened  into  the  fire.  Nicho¬ 
las  then  addressed  him  with  the  feeling  of  a 
friend :  he  told  him  that  his  name  was  a  suf¬ 
ficient  guarantee  for  the  future ;  that  he  could 
imagine  the  past  was  only  a  momentary  de¬ 
lusion;  and  that,  even  if  his  guilt  had  not 
been  exaggerated,  he  himself  would  never 
wish  to  become  acquainted  with  it.  He  then 
recommended  him  to  join  the  army  in  Persia 
without  delay,  to  conduct  himself  there  in  a 
manner  that  might  justify  this  indulgence, 
and  prove  to  the  world  by  future  acts  of  loy¬ 
alty  and  devotion,  that  all  the  late  rumours 
attached  to  his  character  were  unjust  and 
unfounded.  He  went,  and  has  since  distin¬ 
guished  himself  on  several  occasions.  Many 
others  were  treated  with  the  same  delicacy 
and  mercy. 

With  respect  to  the  more  prominent  con¬ 
spirators,  it  was  absolutely  requisite  that  jus¬ 
tice  should  be  allowed  to  take  her  course, 
and,  after  a  short  investigation,  their  sen¬ 
tence  was  formally  pronounced.  Many  of¬ 
ficers  were  imprisoned  in  the  fortress,  and 
then  banished  to  Siberia ;  five  only  were  con¬ 
demned  to  death,  among  these  were  Pestell 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


21 


and  BestuchefF,  who  were  most  deeply  im¬ 
plicated  in  all  the  details  of  this  formidable 
insurrection.  They  were  both  young  men 
of  superior  talents,  information,  and  firmness 
of  character,  which  would  have  done  honour 
to  a  better  cause.  Rumour  spoke  highly  of 
the  sensible,  dispassionate  manner,  in  which 
Pestell  had  spoken  of  the  views  of  the  conspi¬ 
rators,  and  the  calm  resignation  with  which 
he  was  prepared  to  meet  his  fate.  This  gave 
the  Emperor  a  wish  to  have  a  private  inter¬ 
view  with  him;  some  say  that  it  was  earnest¬ 
ly  demanded  by  the  prisoner,  with  a  propo¬ 
sal  to  make  some  important  revelations;  be 
that  as  it  may,  the  conference  did  take  place 
on  the  day  previously  to  his  execution.  Pes¬ 
tell  prefaced  his  address  to  the  Emperor  by 
saying,  that  all  distinctions  were  now  level¬ 
led  between  them  by  his  prospect  of  imme¬ 
diate  death;  that  he  himself  had  nothing 
more  to  hope  or  fear  in  this  world,  and  what¬ 
ever  he  was  then  about  to  communicate  could 
be  attributed  to  no  bias  of  an  earthly  nature. 
He  then,  in  the  fullest  manner,  disclosed  not 
only  every  secret  of  the  late  conspiracy,  but 
its  origin  and  its  objects;  not  only  the  causes 
of  present  disaffection,  but  the  future  mea- 
3* 


22 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


sures  which  he  conceived  most  calculatecL  to 
repress  it.  He  entered  into  a  detail  of  the 
character  of  the  nation,  the  mode  of  govern¬ 
ment,  and  the  difficulties  with  which  Nicho¬ 
las  was  at  the  moment  surrounded ;  he  alluded 
to  the  liberal  ideas  of  the  late  sovereign ;  his 
open  wish  for  emancipation,  and  his  predilec¬ 
tions  for  foreigners,  which  created  discontent 
and  jealousies  in  his  own  subjects.  He  al¬ 
lowed  that  rigour  and  severity  were  indis¬ 
pensable  in  the  government,  but  he  strongly 
recommended  a  greater  conformity  to  nation¬ 
al  prejudices. 

All  these  communications,  delivered  in  a 
manly  tone,  and  with  extraordinary  compo¬ 
sure,  brought  home  to  the  mind  of  Nicholas 
many  very  serious  convictions,  and  laid  open 
to  his  Tuew  various  circumstances,  of  which 
he  previously  had  no  conception.  Impressed 
with  gratitude  for  such  important  discoveries, 
the  Emperor  repeatedly  offered  to  spare  his 
life,  which  he  invariably  refused.  ^‘No,” 
said  he,  am  not  afraid  to  die,  and  my  life 
is  justly  forfeited  to  rny  country.  You  can¬ 
not  sign  my  pardon,  without  committing 
murder,  if  you  then  cause  my  colleagues  to 
be  executed.  I  may  now  see  my  error,  but 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


23 


it  is  irremediable ;  and  all  I  wish  is  to  make 
such  atonement,  as  the  short  period  still  re¬ 
maining  to  me  in  this  world  may  permit.’’ 

The  Emperor,  it  is  said,  was  very  deeply 
affected ;  and  it  does  seem  to  me  incompre¬ 
hensible  that  he  should  have  allowed  such  a 
man  to  be  executed.  Every  one  concurs  in 
thinking,  that  the  dying  counsels  of  Pestell 
have  had  great  influence  in  suggesting  the 
energetic  conduct  of  the  present  reign,  which, 
with  all  its  severity,  professes  a  much  more 
national  spirit  than  that  which  preceded  it. 

Pestell  was  hanged  on  the  following  day 
with  his  accomplices,  on  the  glacis  of  the 
fortress.  His  end  was  distinguished  by  the 
same  fortitude  and  contempt  of  personal 
danger,  which  characterized  his  whole  life. 
When  first  suspended  on  the  gallows,  the 
rope  broke,  and  he  fell  to  the  ground.  On 
being  recovered  by  the  assistants,  and  re¬ 
placed  again  on  the  scaffold,  he  only  ex¬ 
claimed  to  his  friends,  ‘‘  En  me  laissant  pen- 
dre,  je  ne  croyois  pas  risquer  de  me  casser  le 
cou.” 

This  was  the  only  public  execution  on 
that  occasion,  though  the  sentence  of  banish¬ 
ment  for  life  to  hard  labour  in  the  mines  of 


24 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAH. 


Siberia,  which  was  enforced  in  various  in¬ 
stances,  must  have  been  a  punishment  far 
more  terrible  than  death.  There  were  other 
minor  gradations  of  chastisement  from  which 
even  the  fair  sex  were  not  exempted.  The 

well  known  Madame  L - ,  who  had  taken 

a  share  in  these  treasonable  projects,  was  ar¬ 
rested  by  the  police,  and  suffered  with  the 
rest.  She  is  now  restored  to  favour  at  court, 
and  quite  recovered  from  the  accident ^  as  I 
met  her  yesterday  at  dinner,  at  the  embassy, 
where  there  was  a  large  party  of  the  Rus¬ 
sian  nobility,  among  whom  was  M - ,  who 

is  just  arrived  from  England. 

The  Turkish  Embassy,  which  has  been 
expected  for  some  days  past  from  Adrianople, 
has  just  made  its  appearance  in  Petersburg. 
The  object  of  this  mission  is  to  express  the 
Sultan’s  satisfaction  at  the  conclusion  of 
peace  between  the  two  countries.  The  am¬ 
bassador  is  named  Halib  Pacha  j  his  suite 
consists  in  all  of  seventy-five  persons ;  their 
expenses,  while  in  the  Russian  territory,  are 
defrayed  by  the  Emperor,  and  it  is  calculated 
that  their  stay  in  the  country  will  cost  the 
Imperial  treasury  one  million  and  a  half  of 
paper  roubles,  which  is  equal  to  about  sixty 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


25 


thousand  pounds  of  our  money.  It  must  in¬ 
clude  the  presents,  which  will  be  sent  in  re¬ 
turn  to  the  Sultan,  otherwise  the  amount  is 
inconceivable. 

Yours  ever. 

r 


26 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAH. 


LETTER  XVIL 


Halib  Pacha’s  audience  of  the  Emperor. — Russian  Orders. — 
The  Carnival. — A  Russian  Ball. — Restraint  in  Society. — Prudes 
and  Coquettes.— Social  morals. — Prejudice  against  mourning. — 
Prince  Yousoupoff.— His  appearance  at  a  Ball  given  by  the 
Due  de  Mortemart.r — His  Wealth. — Anecdote. — Whist- playing, 
— Gambling  anecdotes.  ^ 


Petersburg,  9th  February,  1830. 

My  dear  — — , 

This  morning  Halib  Paeba,  attended  by 
his  suite,  had  his  formal  audience  of  the  Em¬ 
peror  at  the  Winter  Palace.  The  procession 
through  the  streets  was  very  insignificant; 
six  old  gilt  carriages,  of  various  shapes  and 
dates,  some  of  the  time  of  Catherine,  each 
drawn  by  six  horses,  with  a  few  outriders 
and  footmen,  constituted  the  whole  cavalcade : 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


27 


it  seemed  to  excite  no  interest  with  the  peo¬ 
ple,  and  there  were  very  few  spectators. 

You  must  have  heard  so  much  of  Russian 
orders,  and  indeed  have  seen  a  few  on  Eng¬ 
lish  button-holes,  since  the  last  war,  that  I 
may  venture  to  give  you  a  list  of  them.  The 
first  order  is  that  of  St.  Andrew,  instituted 
by  Peter  I. ;  the  decoration  consists  of  a  star 
and  a  blue  riband,  at  the  bottom  of  which 
hangs  the  cross  of  St.  Andrew.  The  princes 
and  princesses  of  the  imperial  family  are 
members  by  birth :  it  is  both  civil  and  mili¬ 
tary,  and  has  no  second  class.  The  second 
order  is  that  of  St.  Alexander  Neusky,  in¬ 
stituted  also  by  Peter  the  Great;  the  riband 
is  red,  and  four  eagles  surround  the  star :  it 
is  also  both  civil  and  military,  and  has  no 
second  class.  The  third  is  the  order  of  St. 
George,  which  is  purely  military;  the  riband 
is  red,  bordered  with  .black  and  white;  the 
cross  is  white,  and  represents  the  saint  on 
horseback,  piercing  a  dragon  with  his  lance. 
This  order  is  the  most  distinguished  in  Rus¬ 
sia,  and  the  most  difficult  of  attainment;  the 
sovereign  himself  cannot  evade  the  rigorous 
injunctions  of  its  statutes.  The  grand  cross 
can  only  be  conferred  on  a  general  who  gains 
a  pitched  battle,  takes  a  strong  fortress,  or 


28  CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 

contributes,  by  a  series  of  successful  opera¬ 
tions,  to  the  re-establishment  of  peace. 

At  this  time  there  are  only  four  knights  of 
the  first  class;  the  Dauphin  of  France,  the 
King  of  Sweden,  the  Duke  of  Wellington, 
and  General  Beningsen.  This  order  is  di¬ 
vided.  into  four  classes,  and  to  obtain  even 
the  lowest  it  is  necessary  to  have  taken  a 
cannon  or  a  standard  from  the  enemy. 

The  order  of  Saint  Anne  has  four  classes ; 
the  riband  is  red,  bordered  with  yellow :  sol¬ 
diers,  who  have  served  with  distinction  for 
twenty  years,  obtain  a  medal,  bearing  the 
cross  of  St.  Anne,  with  the  riband. 

The  order  of  St.  Validimir,  instituted  by 
Catherine,  is  civil  as  well  as  military,  and  is 
composed  of  four  classes ;  the  riband  a  deep 
red,  with  black  border.  Those  who  perform 
a  noble  or  generous  action,  wdio  save  a  fellow 
creature  from  drowning,  or  from  any  great 
personal  danger,  are  rewarded  with  this 
cross;  authors  too,  of  valuable  works  or  in¬ 
ventions,  may  lay  claim  to  this  recompense. 

Alexander  created  a  medal  for  those  who 
made  the  campaign  in  1812;  the  riband  is 
blue,  and  the  medal  silver  for  the  military, 
and  bronze  for  the  civil  members. 

After  the  military  engagements  which  took 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


29 


place  ,on  the  Pruth,  Peter  L  instituted  the 
order  of  St.  Catherine,  in  honour  of  his  wife, 
who  had  followed  him  through  the  whole 
campaign,  and  by  her  courage  and  presence 
of  mind  largely  contributed  to  the  fortunate 
issue  df  the  war :  this  order  is  unique,  in  Eu¬ 
rope  from  the  singularity  of  its  origin.  It  is 
conferred  solely  on  noble  Russian  ladies,  and 
worn  below  the  left  shoulder ;  it  is  divided 
into  two  classes :  the  riband  is  red,  bordered 
with  white.  The  cross  presents  on  one  side 
the  image  of  St.  Catherine,  with  the  em¬ 
blems  of  her  martyrdom ;  and  on  the  other 
this  inscription,  ‘‘  Pour  T amour  de  la  patrie.’^ 
We  are  told  it  is  the  Carnival,  but  I  see 
nothing  here  which  reminds  me  of  it:  the 
times  are  gone  by  when  the  Empress  Anne 
celebrated  the  marriage  of  her  fool  in  a  pa¬ 
lace  built  of  ice,  fifty  feet  long  and  twenty 
feet  wide,  which  at  night  was  illuminated 
with  wax  candles;  while  a  battery  of  six 
cannons,  made  of  the  same  materials,  fired  a 
salute  in  honour  of  the  bride  and  bridegroom. 
Here  we  have  nothing  but  three  feet  of  snow 
in  the  streets,  the  usual  dull  theatres,  and  a 
few  occasional  balls,  where  formality  still 
reigns  paramount  through  the  circle,  and  the 
ladies,  seated  by  themselves,  are  not  ap« 
VOL.  II. — 4 


30 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


proached  by  the  men,  except  for  the  purpose 
of  the  dance.  All  seem  to  feel  the  force  of 
Brunet’s  remark,  Qu’importe  qu’on  s’en- 
nuye,  pourvu  qu’on  s’amuse?”  Still  a  Rus¬ 
sian  ball  is  a  fine  and  brilliant  spectacle ;  the 
capacious  hotels — the  numerous  servants — 
the  suites  of  splendid  rooms,  illuminated  like 
day* — the  various  uniforms  and  orders — the 
women  richly  dressed, — and,  to  crown  the 
whole,  a  magnificent  supper,  form,  at  any 
rate,  a  dazzling  scene ;  though  the  animation 
of  pleasure  is  wanting,  and  the  sans  gene  cor¬ 
diality  of  manner,  which  gives  a  real  zest  to 
society,  is  nowhere  to  be  found.  It  would 
be  a  breach  of  etiquette  to  offer  your  arm  to 
a  lady  in  a  ball-room,  and  any  attempt  to  en¬ 
ter  into  a  continued  conversation  would  be 
immediately  discouraged.  The  eyes  of  all 
are  on  the  alert  to  remark  the  slightest  de¬ 
viation  from  the  strict  rules  of  prudery  which 
are  established  in  this  society ;  and  as  great 
purity  of  conduct  is  enforced  both  by  the  ex¬ 
ample  and  precepts  of  the  imperial  family,  a 
dread  of  ill-natured  comments,  which  might 
be  reported  to  the  palace,  produces  a  feeling 
of  restraint,  and  a  check  upon  all  frankness 
and  cordiality,  which  ensures  alike  to  every 
one  the  same  chilling  and  formal  reception. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


31 


Thus,  the  dread  of  the  throne  acts  with  equal 
force,  but  in  a  diiferent  shape,  on  the  con¬ 
duct  and  pursuits  of  both  sexes ;  and  if  there 
are  coquettes  in  Petersburg,  they  are,  at  least, 
not  visible  in  public.  ■  • 

Some  societies  might  be  benefited  by  the 
exclusion  of  that  dangerous  animal;  but  here, 
if  two  or  three  of  what  the  Spectator”  de¬ 
nominates  oglers  and  sparklers  were  let  loose 
in  a  ball  room,  their  mischievous  qualities 
would  be  neutralized  by  the  chill  of  the  sur¬ 
rounding  atmosphere,  and  their  animated 
eyes  would  enliven  the  general  gloom  like 
diamonds  on  a  sombre  velvet  robe.  Still, 
after  all,  a  prude  is  far  more  estimable  than 
a  coquette.  The  latter  is  a  being  devoid  of 
all  feeling;  her  rage  for  admiration  only  ori¬ 
ginates  in  a  wish  to  impart  some  artificial 
warmth  to  her  own  frigid  nature';  she  lies  in 
wait  for  excitement  and  emotions  by  calcula¬ 
tion,  (as  a  decrepit  old  man  basks  at  noon  in 
the  sunshine  to  revive  his  torpid  circulation.) 
But,  as  all  her  actions  spring  from  the  head 
and  not  from  the  heart,  she  scruples  not  to 
sacrifice  real  friends  and  sincere  admirers  at 
the  shrine  of  vanity,  as  a  general  exposes  his 
most  devoted  troops  to  the  hottest  fire  of  the 


32 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


enemy,  in  order  to  gain  a  sometimes  unim¬ 
portant  victory. 

The  morals  in  society,  thus  placed  under 
imperial  inspection,  are,  to  all  appearance, 
eminently  correct;  any  deviation  from  such 
conduct  is  marked  with  open  displeasure 
from  the  chief.  A  nobleman  was  lately  ba¬ 
nished  from  court  because  his  attachment  to  a 
French  actress  was  too  notorious;  and  though 
no  court  was  more  dissipated  under  the  reign 
of  the  Empress  Catherine,  none  is  more  strict¬ 
ly  guided  by  the  rules  of  decorum  than  that 
over  which  the  Emperor  Nicholas  now  pre¬ 
sides. 

There  is  a  great  and  singular  prejudice  in 
this  country  against  mourning ;  the  mourn¬ 
ings  of  the  court  being  indispensable,  are  un- 
usuall}*  short,  and  often  deferred  till  two  or 
three  deaths  have  occurred,  and  can  be  in¬ 
cluded  in  one  order;  but  those  of  individuals 
are  often  evaded ;  and  there  are  certain  fete 
days  in  families  at  which  no  one  would  com¬ 
mit  the  indiscretion  of  appearing  in  a  black 
coat. 

I  have  had  various  neighbours  in  my  hotel 
since  my  arrival,  of  whom  some  curious  anec¬ 
dotes  have  transpired;  but  within  the  last  few 
days  great  preparation  has  been  making  for  a 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


3S 

new  guest  from  the  interior  provinces,  Prince 
Yousoupoff,  a  great  Tartar  chief,  and  one  of 
the  richest  subjects  in  Russia.  He  is  possessed 
of  very  large  estates;  on  which  he-  occasional¬ 
ly  resides  in  Asiatic  splendour  and  dignity. 
He  arfived  in  a  large  antique  herline,  and  his 
suite  in  six  sledges :  the  latter  was  composed 
of  two  secretaries  and  ten  servants,  a  dwarf, 
who  is  forty  years  old,  and  not  higher  than 
my  waist,  with  a  whole  menagerie  of  parrots, 
monkeys,,  and  dogs.  The  Prince  himself  is 
eighty-live  years  old:  he  is  separated  from 
his  wife,  whose  family  name  was  Engelhardt, 
a  native  of  Germany,  and  who  is  widow  cf 
the  famous  Prince  Potemkin :  she  has  a  con¬ 
siderable  dower,  and  always  resides  at  Pe¬ 
tersburg. 

The  principal  residence  of  the-  Prince  is  at 
Moscow,  where  he  lives  surrounded  by  regal 
magnificence ;  he  has  a  private  theatre  in  his 
palace,  a  hand  of  thirty  female  vocal  perform¬ 
ers,  and  another  of  instrumental  music,  com¬ 
posed  of  slaves,  to  whom  he  has  given  the  re¬ 
quisite  education.  It  is.  very  seldom  that  he 
visits  this  capital,  as  tho  nobles  at  Moscow 
retain  all  their  ancient  prejudices,  bear  with 
impatience  the  control  of  a  court,  dislike  all 
modern,  and  particularly  foreign,  innova 

4^^ 


34 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


tions,  and  are  not  supposed,  generally,  to  be 
very  favourable  to  the  imperial  government : 
they  are  called  in  this  country  the  Opposi¬ 
tion;  but  it  is  an  opposition  backed  by  tre¬ 
mendous  power  and  wealth,  which  must 
make  them  a  formidable  object  of  suspicion. 

This  venerable  satrap  went  last  night  to  a 
ball  at  the  Due  de  Mortemart’s^  where  he  was 
the  object  of  general  remark.  He  was  dressed 
in  precisely  the  same  uniform  that  he  wore 
in  the  time  of  Catherine;  indeed,  he  piques 
himself  on  never  having  changed  any  thing 
about  him  since  that  period ;  and  though  his 
dress  was  antique,  his  manners  proved  that 
the  vieille  cour  had  much  more  dignity  and 
high  breeding  than  the  nouvelle.  Unlike  the 
rest  of  his  countrymen,  he  has  seen  a  great 
deal  of  the  world ;  and  what  St.  Simon  would 
call  du  plus  grand,  et  du  meilleur.  It  is  more 
than  fifty  years  since  he  was  in  England, 
when  he  knew  Garrick,  Sheridan,  and  other 
wits  of  that  day ;  he  also  travelled  with  the 
Emperor  Paul  during  his  minority :  he  was 
much  esteemed  by  Frederick  the  Great,  who 
gave  him  the  order  of  the  Black  Eagle,  which 
he  constantly  wears. 

Such  a  man  must  be  a  mine  of  informa¬ 
tion  to  connect  the  last  two  generations  to- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


85 


gether ;  and  if  all  the  anecdotes  which  he  has 
witnessed  could  be  published,  it  would  form 
a  work  of  the  highest  interest.  A  courtier, 
of  the  time  of  Catherine,  making  his  appear¬ 
ance  in  the  present  day,  dressed  in  the  fa- 
shionrof  that  period,  gives  the  idea  of  an  old 
picture  walking  out  of  its  frame,  or  even  of 
one  risen  from  the  dead. 

His  wealth  is  immense :  he  has  given  his 
son,  who  has  already  married  his  second 
'wife,  an  independent  fortune,  and  remains 
himself  possessed  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
thousand  slaves.  This  species  of  property  is 
not  always  easily  defined;  but,  in  this  in¬ 
stance,  I  hear  it  may  be  estimated  at  an 
obrok  of  forty-five  roubles  generally  per  head ; 
the  rich  paying  for  the  poor,  and  the  young, 
who  can  work, -paying  for  the  old,  who  can¬ 
not.  Those  who  have  migrated  from  the 
soil,  and  betaken  themselves  to  a  trade  or 
service,  pay  dearly  for  their  lengthened 
chain ;  they  may  be  rated  from  one  hundred 
to  five  hundred,,  or  six  hundred  roubles.  As 
this  income  is  paid  regularly,  without  any 
deduction  for  taxes,  some  idea  may  be  formed 
of  the  riches  of  this  affluent  nobleman.  Some 
years  ago  his  son  lost  a  large  sum  at  play  to 
some  of  his  brother  officers  in  the  service — 


36  CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 

which  is  no  very  unusual  circumstance  in 
this  country,  though  not  often  to  so  large  an 
amount,  as  this  was  said  to  be  near  three 
millions  of  roubles.  The  Prince,  without 
loss  of  time,  on  learning  the  intelligence, 
came  post  to  Petersburg,  with  a  view  of  com¬ 
plaining  to  the  Emperor,  that  his  son  had  been 
pillaged.  Alexander,  after  making  proper  in¬ 
quiries,  very  justly  replied,  “  Pay  the  money, 
which  you  can  do  with  great  facility ;  your 
son  is  old  enough  to  take  care  of  himself; 
and,  moreover,  no  one  obliged  him  to  play; 
he  must,  therefore,  take  the  consequences.” 

At  every  evening-party,  in  this  town,  be¬ 
sides  the  usual  rubber  of  whist,  there  is  a 
table  with  dice,  appropriated  to  the  game  of 
jpasse  dix,  at  which  a  very  dirty  custom  pre¬ 
vails.  The  scores  are  marked  by  each 
player  with  chalk  on  the  card  table,  and  a 
little  brush  is  used  to  alter  the  sums,  as  they 
vary,  every  minute,  which  has  a  very  sloven¬ 
ly  appearance ;  at  times  the  brush  is  too  ac¬ 
tively  employed  in  effacing  a  debt  before  it 
has  been  liquidated.  Some  years  back  at 
court,  where  the  same  custom  likewise 
existed,  the  Empress-mother,  at  the  close  of 
the  game,  found  a  deficiency  in  the  sum 
which  she  was  entitled  to  receive ;  and  very 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


37 


naturally  asked  who  was  to  make  good  her 

winnings-  Mr.  de - ,  who  was  the  real 

defaulter,  and  probably  thought  that  his  im¬ 
perial  creditor  could  not  want  the  money, 
very  calmly  replied,  “  Madame  ce  sera^  sans 
doute^essrs.  Brosse  et  Co.  qui  soldent  tout.” 
As  we  are  on  the  subject  of  play,  I  may  add, 
that  an  incident  occurred  here  the  other 

day  at  the  house  of  Madame - to  which, 

though  it  is  hushed  up,  I  only  allude,  to  show 
that  it  came  to  my  knowledge ;  and  as  I  have 
no  wish  to  propagate  evil  reports,  you  will 
excuse  my  mentioning  any  names,  A  gene¬ 
ral  officer,  whose  name  is  well  known,  was 
detected  by  one  of  his  own  friends  in  unfair 
play  at  ecarte,  and  publicly  reproached  with 
it :  this  circumstance  has  not  prejudiced  his 
reception  in  the  world,  as  it  would  have  done 
in  other  countries. 


Yours  ever. 


38 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


LETTER  XVIII 


Russian  patriotism. — ^Heroism  of  Rostopschin. — Its  important  ef¬ 
fects. — Ingratitude  towards  him  of  the  Emperor  and  the  na¬ 
tion. — Alexander’s  conduct  on  the  invasion  of  Napoleon. — Burn¬ 
ing  of  Moscow. — Disastrous  retreat  of  the  F rench. — Subsequent 
success  of  the  Russian  arms. — Its  effect  on  the  policy  of  the 
nation. 

Petersburg,  14th  February,  1830. 

My  dear - , 

It  was  asserted  the  other  night,  in  a 
party  of  foreigners,  (as  you  may  suppose,) 
that  the  annals  of  Russia  had  produced  no 
remarkable  instance  of  personal  sacrifice  for 
the  benefit  of  country  or  friends;  it  was  al¬ 
lowed  that  they  would  fight  bravely  in  the 
national  cause;  but  examples  were  wanting 
of  individual  heroism,  not  in  valour,  but  in 
those  acts  of  self-devotion  and  self-denial, 
which  are  prompted  by  an  ardent  wish  for 
the  public  weal,  at  the  expense  of  all  private 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


39 


and  personal  consideration.  I  do  not  pretend 
to  much  intimate  knowledge  of  Russian  his¬ 
tory,  but  I  was  not  backward  in  citing  the 
noble  example  of  Rostopschin,  as  an  act  of 
heroism  worthy  of  the  days  of  ancient  Rome. 
In  condemning  Moscow  to  the  flames,  he  de- 
stroyejdhis  own  splendid  palace  and  property 
without  regret,  and  if  any  thing  could  prove, 
beyond  a  doubt,  the  vast  utility  of  this  whole¬ 
sale  sacrifice  to  the  preservation  of  the  em¬ 
pire,  it  may  be  found  in  the  virulent  invec¬ 
tives,  and  whining  complaints,  of  Napoleon 
himself,  when  he  found  all  his  hopes  of  pro¬ 
viding  warm  and  comfortable  quarters  for  his 
immense  army,  during  the  approaching  win¬ 
ter,  completely  annihilated.  The  main  ob¬ 
ject  of  Napoleon,  in  all  his  campaigns,  had 
constantly  been  to  press  forward,  at  all  risks, 
to  the  enemy’s  capital ;  and  once  in  posses¬ 
sion  of  that  point,  to  offer  terms  of  peace, 
which,  either  from  the  panic  he  had  inspired, 
or  the  wish  to  be  freed  from  such  an  unwel¬ 
come  guest,  were  generally  accepted.  That 
the  same  policy  governed  the  march  to  Mos¬ 
cow  is  very  apparent.  What  then  would 
have  been  the  fate  of  the  Russian  empire,  if 
the  French  armies  had  found  in  Moscow  a 


40 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


convenient  shelter  from  the  rigorous  winter 
of  1812,  and  the  means  of  providing  for  all 
their  wants  in  the  midst  of  that  rich  popula¬ 
tion?  Their  communications  with  Europe 
would  have  been  re-established  in  the  spring ; 
fresh  re-enforcements  would  have  arrived;  the 
allies,  both  Prussian  and''  Austrian,  would 
have  remained  in  their  previous  subjection 
to  the  views  of  Napoleon;  and  instead  of  that 
fatal  retreat,  which  exterminated  the  greatest 
and  most  powerful  army  that  has  ever  been 
assembled  in  modern  times, — instead  of  that 
murderous  campaign  in  1813,  which  sealed 
his  downfal,  and  the  extinction  of  his  dy¬ 
nasty, — it  is  more  than  probable  that  such 
altered  circumstances  would  have  obtained 
at  least  an  honourable  peace,  and  have  se¬ 
cured  to  him  a  triumphant  march  back  to  his 
capital.  It  is,  therefore,  not  without  reason, 
in  my  humble  opinion,  that  the  late  fortunate 
change  in  the  destinies  of  Europe,  as  well  as 
the  imposing  attitude  which  Russia  assumed 
on  that  memorable  occasion,  may  in  the  main 
be  attributed  to  the  energetic  conduct  of  Ros- 
topschin.  How,  then,  was  this  saviour  of  his 
country  rewarded,  and  how  was  this  act  of 
Spartan  constancy  eulogized,  when  the  dan- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


41 


‘ger  was  passed,  and  the  invader  expelled? 
It  excited  the  jealousy  of  Alexander,  and  the 
discontent  of  the  nation. 

I  have  heard  it  here,  or  never  could  have 
credited,  that  the  disinterested.  Rostopschin 
was  afterwards  so  harassed  at  home  for  this 
patriotic  deed,  by  the  petty  interested  spirits 
who  grudged  the  price  after  they  had  reaped 
the  benefit,  that  he  was  at  last  induced  to 
publish  a  pamphlet,  disclaiming  all  idea  of 
having  instigated  the  conflagration.  While 
every  officer  in  the  army  w*as  loaded  with 
honours,  I  knew  Rostopschin  personally  in 
Paris,  living  in  retirement,  and  excluded 
from  all  rewards.  He  was  a  very  sensible, 
well  informed  man;  his  conversation  v/as 
agreeable,  and  tinged  wfith  a  vein  of  humour, 
which  enlivened  his  narratives ;  his  features 
were  plain,  and  the  French  in  joke  used  to 
say,  that  he  had  le  veritable  air  diim  hruleur 
de  Moscou;  but  they  seemed,  generally,  in¬ 
clined  to  render  him  that  justice  which  was 
so  harshly  denied  by  his  own  countrymen. 

The  outlines  of  that  invasion  have  been 
sufficiently  made  public,  hut  I  hear,  occa¬ 
sionally,  anecdotes  on  the  subject,  which  are 
not  so  generally  known.  Up  to  the  last  mo¬ 
ment,  the  Russians  themselves  were  im- 

VOL.  II. — 5 


42 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


pressed  with  the  idea,  that  Napoleon  wonld 
not  hazard  an  invasion ;  hut  the  vast  prepa¬ 
rations  on  the  frontiers,  and  the  menacing 
aspect  of  the  negotiations,  intimated  to  Alex¬ 
ander  the  necessity  of  preparing  his  means 
of  defence,  and  organizing  his  military  forces. 
He  took  early  measures  to  terminate  the  war 
with  Turkey ;  and  having  made  every  dispo¬ 
sition  of  his  armies  that  circumstances  would 
permit,  he  awaited  in  silence  the  awful  mo¬ 
ment,  when  his  ambitious  foe  should  throw 
down  the  gauntlet  and  commence  hostile  ope¬ 
rations. 

The  Emperor  was  present  at  a  ball  given 
by  General  Beningsen,  at  his  chateau  of  Za- 
cret,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Wilna,  when 
the  intelligence  was  brought  to  him  that  Na¬ 
poleon  had  crossed  the  Niemen.  He  instant¬ 
ly  quitted  the  fete,  and  returned  to  his  cabi¬ 
net,  where  he  passed  the  night  in  writing. 
His  first  composition  was  a  bold  energetic 
appeal  to  the  army ;  he  then  despatched  va¬ 
rious  letters  to  the  generals  and  governors 
of  provinces.  That  which  he  addressed  to 
Count  SoltikofF,  the  Governor  of  St.  Peters¬ 
burg,  merits  remark  from  the  simplicity  of 
its  style,  and  the  natural  tone  in  which  the 
.justice  of  his  cause  was  publicly  detailed: — 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


43 


Count  Nicholas  Ivanovitch, 

French  troops  have  passed  the  frontier 
of  our  empire.  A  strict  observance  of  trea¬ 
ties  on  our  part,  has  been  repaid  by  a  most 
perfidious  act  of  aggression.  To  preserve 
peace,  I  have  exhausted  every  means  con- 
sistenCwith  the  dignity  of  my  crown,  and 
the  interests  of.  my  people.  All  my  efforts 
have  been  without  success.  No  object  can 
satisfy  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  but  the  ruin 
of  Russia.  The  most  moderate  proposals 
have  been  left  without  reply.  An  unexpect¬ 
ed  invasion  has  openly  proved  the  fallacy  of 
any  dependence  on  protestations  of  peace  and 
amity,  which  were  even  renewed  to  the  latest 
moment.  No  resource  then  is  left  but  the 
chance  of  war,  and  the  strenuous  employ¬ 
ment  of  those  means  wmich,  under  Provi^ 
dence,  we  possess  to  repel  force  by  force. 

I  have  the  fullest  confidence  in  the  zeal 
of  my  people,  and  in  the  bravery  of  my 
troops.  Menaced  in  their  very  hearths,  they 
will  defend  them  with  that  firmness  and  in¬ 
trepidity,  which  form  the  basis  of  the  Rus¬ 
sian  character.  Providence  will  look  down 
and  protect  our  holy  cause.  We  must  gird 
the  sword  to  defend  our  country,  to  preserve 
our  independence,  arid  vindicate  our  nation- 


44 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


al  honour.  Of  this  be  assured,  that  I  will 
not  sheathe  that  sword,  so  long  as  a  single 
armed  enemy  shall  remain  alive  on  the  soil 
of  our  empire. 

(Signed)  ''  Alexander.” 

After  the  successes  of  the  French  arms 
had  created  considerable  alarm  in  the  Rus¬ 
sian  camp,  Alexander  quitted  his  army  at 
Polotsk,  and  repaired  to  Moscow,  for  the 
purpose  of  demanding  fresh  succours  from 
the  senate.  He  was  met  by  the  immense 
jiopulation  of  that  city  at  the  Smolensko 
gate.  He  went  strait  to  the  senate-house, 
where  Rostopschin  proposed  to  raise  milita¬ 
ry  intrenchments  without  the  town,  and  arm 
the  inhabitants  en  masse  to  resist  the  enemy. 
His  proposal  was  not  only  adopted,  but  it  is 
also  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  Emperor  gave 
him  carte  blanche  to  execute  any  measures 
which  he  might  deem  advisable  for  the  pub¬ 
lic  safety.  So  much  for  those  who  say  that 
he  acted  afterwards  without  authority. 

It  was  at  this  period  that  the  public  mind 
became  indignant  at  the  Fabian  policy,  and 
the  wary  tactics  of  Barclay  de  Tolly,  who 
in  the  commencement  of  the  campaign  was 
intent  on  observing  the  enemy,  and  allowing 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


45 


him  to  advance.  Hence  arose  murmurs, 
which  gradually  became  more  loud  and  in¬ 
trusive.  At  last  the  cry  was  raised  in  favour 
of  Kutusoff,  who  had  obtained  popularity  by 
some  successes  against  the  Turks;  and,  not¬ 
withstanding  that  Alexander  was  sorely  op- 
-posed%  such  a  nomination,  he  was  ultimate¬ 
ly  forced  to  yield  to  the  demands,  and  even 
menaces  of  the  prevailing  party.  The  con¬ 
sequence  of  this  was  the  dismissal  of  Barclay 
de  Tolly,  and  the  appointment  of  Kutusoff 
to  the  command  as  general  in  chief 

Tw’o  accusations  are  made  against  Rostop- 
schin ;  that  he  ahvays  had  premeditated  the 
burning  of  Moscow,  in  the  event  of  the  arri¬ 
val  of  the  F  rench ;  and  that  he  took  all  pos¬ 
sible  means  to  save  his  own  property  from, 
the  general  wreck.  To  this  it  may  be  said, 
that  such  foresight  was  useful  and  laudable, 
as  he  never  dreamt  of  putting  it  in  execution 
till  General  Kutusoff  informed  him,  after  the 
battle  of  the  Moskw^a,  that  the  demoralized 
state  of  his  army  rendered  it  impossible  to 
defend  that  capital :  and,  as  to  the  other  point,, 
is  there  any  other  general  in  the  service  wha 
would  not  have  done  the  same  thing?  He 
could  not  remove  his  palace,  and  I  have 
5.^ 


46 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAF. 


often  heard  him  say,  that  his  loss  in  person¬ 
al  property  on  that  occasion  was  immense. 

As  soon  as  the  fatal  decision  was  passed, 
orders  were  given  to  all  the  inhabitants  to 
evacuate  the  town,  and  the  governor  showed 
no  anxiety  to  desert  his  post,  for  he  remained 
till  the  14th  of  September,  on  which  day  the 
F rench  advanced-guard  entered  by  the  bar¬ 
rier  of  Smolensko.  The  Russian  army  was 
then  defiling  through  the  streets,  and  so  near 
were  the  hostile  corps  to  each  other,  that  the 
Cossacks  of  the  rear-guard  were  immediately 
followed  by  the  van  of  the  enemy.  Then, 
indeed,  the  mougiks  and  the  criminals  who 
had  been  liberated  for  that  purpose,  began 
their  work  of  destruction.  Hid  in  the  vaults 
and  Cuellars,  thev  sallied  forth  at  ni^ht  to 
strew  their  matches  and  fusees  in  every  di¬ 
rection,  where  houses  built  of  w'ood  were 
liable  to  combustion.  As  soon  as  the  flames 
were  extinguished  in  one  point,  they  broke 
out  in  another,  and  no  sooner  had  a  French 
general  established  himself  and  his  suite  in 
a  splendid  palace,  than  it  speedily  became 
too  hot  to  hold^him. 

Napoleon  himself  had  taken  up  his  quar¬ 
ters  in  the  Kremlin,  which  was  singled  out 
as  the  principal  object  of  the  destroyers.  It 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


47 


was  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  flames;  and, 
very  much  against  his  will,  he  was  forced  to 
remove  with  his  staff  to  the  imperial  palace 
of  Iverskaia,  situated  near  half  a  league  from 
the  Petersburg  barrier.  Thus  disappointed 
in  their  hopes  of  agreeable  quarters  after 
their  fatiguing  warfare,  no  words  can  de¬ 
scribe  the  abusive  epithets  and -virulent  ac¬ 
cusations  which  the  F  rench  lavished  on  the 
victims  of  their  aggression,  who  could  not 
reconcile  it  to  themselves  to  prepare  a  hos¬ 
pitable  reception  for  an  enemy  still  reeking 
with  their  blood. 

It  was  blazoned  to  the  world,  that  a  nation 
which  could  burn  its  own  capital,  in  order  to 
starve  a  ruthless  invader,  must  be  a  horde  of 
barbarians;  while  these  same  invaders,  when 
compelled  to  quit  this  scene  of  havoc,'  scru¬ 
pled  not  to  finish  the  work  of  destruction 
themselves  by  blowing  up  the  "'Kremlin, 
which  they  justify  by  the  laws  of  civilized 
warfare.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  more 
liarefaced  contradiction. 

It  is  rather  amusing  to  hear  the  vague  at¬ 
tempts  made  by  Napoleon  when  he  was  in 
difficulty,  to  use  his  former  arts  of  seducing 
'  the  lower  orders  from  their  allegiance,  by  the 
hackneyed  promises  of  liberty  and  equality ; 


48 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


terms  which,  he  had  exploded  himself  as  soon 
as  he  had  attained  his  own  objects  in  France. 
But  the  Muscovites  and  Tartars  were  not  to 
be  duped  by  doctrines  which,  happily  for 
them,  were  incomprehensible  to  their  unso¬ 
phisticated  nature.  When  the  invader  found 
that  there  were  no  hopes  of  success  in  that 
quarter,  he  struck  out  another  expedient, 
which  proved  equally  futile,  but  proclaimed 
the  treacherous  intentions  of  the  man  who 
professed  to  make  war  upon  honourable  prin¬ 
ciples.  It  is  asserted  that  he  wished  to  raise 
up  a  pretender  to  the  Russian  throne;  and 
recollecting  the  rebellion  of  Pugatschelf,  who 
attempted  to  pass  himself  off  for  Peter  III., 
he  ransacked  the  archives,  and  took  every 
possible  step  to  find  some  of  the  last  procla¬ 
mations  of  that  impostor,  which  might  fur¬ 
nish  a  clew  to  those  families  whose  claims  to 
the  crown  might  be  asserted.  Foiled  in  these 
manoeuvres,  and  pressed  on  all  sides  by  fa¬ 
mine  and  disease,  which  had  reduced  his 
army  to  little  more  than  one  hundred  thou¬ 
sand  men  of  all  arms,  Napoleon  turned  his 
thoughts  towards  the  old  expedient,  a  pro¬ 
posal  of  peace.  The  tide  of  affairs,  however, 
was  changed :  instead  of  dictating  terms,  as 
formerly,  he  was  now  obliged  to  sue,  not  in- 


CITY  01^  THE  CZAR. 


49 


deed  as  a  snppliant,  but  earnestly  and  anx¬ 
iously,  under  the  specious  plea  of  humane 
motives,  to  terminate  a  war  so  destructive  to 
all  the  best  interests  of  human  nature. 

He  who  was  the  cause  of  all  this  mischief 
and  ruin  was  the  first  to  deplore  it,  when  he 
found  that  it  only ’recoiled  upon^himself.  M. 
de  Lauriston  was  twice  sent  to  the  head¬ 
quarters  of  Kutusoff  with  pacific  proposals, 
which  met  with  no  success;  and  letters,  ad¬ 
dressed  by  Napoleon  to  Alexander,  with  the 
same  object,  were  left  without  reply. 

The  Russians  were  now  fully  aware  of  the 
inextricable  dilemma  in  which  their  enemies 
had  so  rashly  entangled  themselves;,  they 
saw  the  rapid  approach  of  winter,  and  all  the 
misery  which  must  attend  their  retreat,  if 
that  measure  was  decided  upon;  and  they 
calmly  awaited  the  moment  when  hostilities 
might  be  renewed  with  fresh  vigour  and  in¬ 
creased  advantage.  That  moment  soon  ar¬ 
rived  ;  the  order  for  retreat  was  received  with 
much  dissatisfaction  by  the  French  army; 
and  to  appease  their  murmurs  a  general  pil¬ 
lage  was  permitted,  and  large  sums  of  cop¬ 
per  money,  found  buried  in  the  vaults  of  the 
palace,  were  distributed.  This  money  con¬ 
sisted  of  large  pieces  of  five  copeks,  so  heavy 


50 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


that  the  value  of  only  thirty-five  roubles 
weighed  one  hundred  pounds.  The  impos¬ 
sibility  of  carrying  away  this  ponderous  coin 
by  the  soldiers  who  were  already  laden  with 
booty,  rendered  them  anxious  to  exchange  it 
for  gold  and  silver ;  and  as  the  common  peo¬ 
ple  are  very  partial  to  it  for  common  circula¬ 
tion,  as  soon  as  the  market  was  established, 
crowds  of  every  description  flocked  to  the 
spot,  anxious  to  conclude  the  purchase.  This 
mass  was  composed  of  those  who  had  lingered 
in  the  town  for  the  sake  of  plunder,  and  pea¬ 
sants  from  the  environs,  who  were  attracted 
by  that  love  of  gain  which  characterizes  the 
Kussian  of  all  classes.  The  change  was 
speedily  established  of  copper  against  gold 
and  silver  at  the  rate  of  eighty  to  even  ninety 
per  cent,  profit  in  favour  of  the  buyer,  so  anx¬ 
ious  were  the  soldiers  to  realize  their  booty ; 
and  this  attraction  produced  such  violent 
struggles,  and  obstinate  efforts  to  approach 
the  scene  of  action,  that  the  confusion  be¬ 
came  alarming,  and  many  women  and  chil¬ 
dren,  ^ho  had  rashly  mixed  with  the  raven¬ 
ous  populace,  were  either  squeezed  or  trod 
to  death  by  their  more  vigorous  neighbours. 

Napoleon  was  ready  to  depart:  at  the  mo¬ 
ment  of  putting  his  foot  in  the  stirrup,  a  Po- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


51 


iish  general,  well  versed  in  the  traditionary 
history  of  Russia,  suggested  to  him,  that  the 
great  cross  of  Ivan  Velleiki  was  supposed  to 
have  great  influence  over  the  destinies  of  the 
empire.  Eager  to  seize  any  opportunity  of 
striking  the  imagination  of  a  superstitious 
people,  Napoleon  instantly  ordered  it  to  he 
pulled  down,  and  carried  away  with  the  bag¬ 
gage  of  the  army.  He  left  Moscow  on  the 
20th  of  October;  and,  according  to  his  or¬ 
ders,  the  Kremlin  was  blown  up  by  the  rear¬ 
guard  on  the  22d. 

Sufficient  details  have  been  given  of  this 
disastrous  retreat,  which  plunged  so  many 
French  families  in  mourning,  and  cost  so 
much  blood  and  treasure  to  the  country. 
The  ambitious  leader  left  his  devoted  troops 
in  their  extreme  distress :  the  compunction 
which  he  showed  for  all  the  misery  he  had 
entailed  upon  them  may  be  appreciated  by 
the  manner  in  which  the  Abbe  de  Pradt  re¬ 
lates  his  interview  with  Napoleon,  on  the 
arrival  of  the  letter  at  Warsaw,  on  his  way 
to  Paris. 

He  says,  ‘Hhat  he  was  called  out  of  his 
bed  early  in  the  morning  by  an  orderly  offi¬ 
cer,  who  left  strict  injunctions  that  he  should 
repair  immediately  to  the  chief  hotel  in  the 


52 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


town  on  pressing  business.^  On  entering  the 
court-yard,  no  particular  object  struck  him, 
but  a  Russian  sledge,  covered  with  dust,  evi¬ 
dently  arrived  from  a  long  journey.  He  was 
ushered  into  a  drawing-room,  where  he  saw 
Caulaincourt,  seated  at  a  table  writing ;  and, 
farther  on,  a  man  in  a  fur  pelisse,  calmly 
looking  out  of  window,  with  his  back  turned 
to  him.  His  first  impulse  was  to  express  his 
surprise  at  seeing  the  general,  who,  without 
noticing  his  salute,  pointed  to  the  individual 
at  the  window;  the  stranger  turned  round, 
and  he  found  himself  in  the  presence  of  the 
emperor.  Struck  with  astonishment,  he 
began  to  mutter  some  expressions  of  regret 
at  the  disasters  which  public  report  had  al¬ 
ready  widely  disseminated,  when  Napoleon 
stopped  him  in  his  harangue  by  a  loud  laugh, 
and  exclaimed,  ‘'Du  sublime  au  ridicule  il 
ny’a  qu’un  pas:”,,  an  expression  wdiich  has 
since  been  much  cited. 

The  success  which  attended  the  Russian 
arms  in  their  subsequent  campaign  in  Eu¬ 
rope,  their  occupation  of  Paris  jointly  with 
the  allies,  and  the  influence  w^hich  was 
yielded  generally  to  Alexander  at  the  con¬ 
gress  of  Vienna,  have  naturally  enough  pro¬ 
duced  in  this  nation  at  home,  a  rather  over- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


53 


weening  sense  of  their  own  weight  and  im¬ 
portance  in  European  politics.  The  same 
opportunity  of  demonstrating  that  power,  we 
may  trust,  will  never  present  itself  again  in 
the  shape  of  an  irruption  of  Cossacks  from 
the  N^rth  into  the  heart  of  civilized  Europe ; 
but  if  the  spirit  of  aggrandizement  is  to  rule 
hereafter  in  the  councils  of  Russia,  it  will  be 
towards  the  East  that  her  future  encroach¬ 
ments  will  extend.  This  feeling  of  self-im¬ 
portance  introduces  with  it  a  great  increase 
of  nationality  and  coldness  towards  foreign¬ 
ers;  the  Russian  language  is  spoken  much 
more  generally  in  society  than  in  former 
days,  and  the  Russian  theatre,  though  pro¬ 
ductive  of  little  talent  or  amusement,  is  in  the 
same  spirit  frequented  of  late  by  the  higher 
classes,  and  encouraged  by  the  Emperor. 
Many  are  the  allusions  that  I  hear  to  our 
financial  difficulties  in  England,  and  the 
enormous  national  debt,  which  must  crip¬ 
ple  our  energies  and  restrict  our  influence 
abroad ;  some  even  hint  that  the  pacific  policy 
of  our  government  in  the  late  Turkish  ques¬ 
tion  was  more  a  matter  of  necessity  than  of 
choice,  and  that  Russia  was  determined  to 
act  on  all  occasions  independently  of  foreign 
interference. 

VOL.  II. — 6 


54 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


^  When  I  listen  to  these  lofty  expressions, 
and  see  at  this  moment  the  reduced  state  of 
their  armies,  their  immense  territorial  pos¬ 
sessions,  and  the  scanty  population  which  is 
scattered  over  these  desolate  regions,  I  can¬ 
not  believe  that  the  Russians  are  by  any 
means  so  formidahle^as  they  would  wish  the 
world  to  imagine. 


Yours  ever. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


55 


LETTER  XIX. 

The  Emperor  Nicholas  in  London  when  a  young  man. — The 
Waltz  and  the  Quadrille. — Personal  appearance  and  manners  of 
his  Imperial  Majesty. — The  Empress. — Grand  Ball  at  the  Win¬ 
ter  Palace. — Count  Nesselrode  and  Capo  dTstrias — Their  rise 
to  power. — Revolution  in  Naples. — The  Greek  question. — Mu¬ 
tinous  symptoms  of  the  Guards  in  Petei*sburgi-«-Insurrection  in 
'  Piedmont.^Policy  of  Austria. — Resignation  of  Capo  dTstrias. — 
General  Bubna. — Lord  K - . — Anecdotes. 


Petersburg,  22nd  February,  1830. 

My  dear - , 

You  may  remember  the  present  Empe^ 
Yot  Nicholas  fourteen  years  ago  in  London^ 
when  he  lived  in  the  large  house  at  the  end 
of  Stratford  Place,  now  occupied  by  Sir  John 
Beckett.  He  was  then  one  of  the  Grand 
Dukes  of  Russia,  travelling  for  his  amuse¬ 
ment,  a  fine-looking  youthj  making  a  consph 


56 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


cuous  figure  at  Almack’s,  in  the  waltz,  and 
whirling  onr  English  beauties  round  the  cir¬ 
cle  to  a  quicker  movement  than  they  had 
previously  learned  to  practise;  The  waltz 
and  the  quadrille  were  then  in  their  infancy 
in  England,  and  had  just  supplanted  what 
the  proselytes  to  the  new  school  opprobrious- 
ly  termed  the  kitchen  dance  of  our  ancestors. 
The  French  Boulangere  had  just  kicked  poor 
Sir  Roger  de  Coverley  out  of  doors ;  Devon¬ 
shire  House  was  the  focus  of  this  Thespian 
revolution,  and  in  one  fell  season  transformed 
the  steps  of  a  whole  nation.  The  mazy  waltz 
may,  perhaps,  have  turned  more  heads,  but  I 
question  if  the  hearts  of  its  fair  votaries  have 
since  beat  with  more  honest  joy  or  lively  plea¬ 
sure,  than  those  of  their  mothers,  under  the 
old  legitimate  system. 

To  return  to  Nicholas,  he  was  at  that  pe¬ 
riod  a  tall,  handsome  stripling,  with  a  fine 
countenance,  and  an  eye  sparkling  with  in¬ 
telligence,  which  has  since  amply  fulfilled 
its  early  promise  of  future  energy  and  en¬ 
lightened  conduct.  He  is  now  arrived  at  the 
meridian  of  life ;  his  features  are  full  of  anima¬ 
tion,  blit  tinged  at  times  with  the  pale  cast  of 
thmght^  which  must  be  inseparable  from  his 
position^  and  which  is  necessary  to  the  main- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


5? 


tenance  of  his  dignity.  His  figure  is  noble 
and  commanding,,  just  arrived  at  that  degree 
of  stoutness  Avhich  indicates  manly  force,  but 
which  an  apparent  tendency  to  increase  will, 
probably,  hereafter  extend  beyond  its  present 
symmetry.  His  manners  are  mild  and  con- 
ciliatpg,  and  his  general  demeanour  digni¬ 
fied,  without  superciliousness  or  hauteur. 
There  is  an  air  of  amenity  in  his  usual  ad¬ 
dress  which  surprises  a  stranger,  when  he 
observes  in  those  around  him  the  unceasing 
awe  which  his  presence  so  universally  in¬ 
spires.  The  Empress  is  fair  and  atfable ;  she 
is  naturally  timid,  but  her-  good  qualities  are 
the  theme  of  general  praise.  Their  union  is 
perfect,  and  may  be  held  up  as  a  model  to 
all  ranks  of  their  subjects;  though.  surround:ed 
by  Eastern  magnificence,  their  tastes  are  as 
simple,  and  their  mode  of  life  as  pure  and  do¬ 
mestic,  as  that  of  the  most  exemplary  private 
family  in  England.  Can  I  carry  my  eulo- 
gium  farther? 

While  occasional  visiters,  as  well  as  the 
regular  inmates  of  the  palace,  who  are  ex¬ 
tremely  numerous,.  are  served  with  liberality' 
and  even  profusion,  the  table  of  the  Emperor 
and  Empress,  when  they  dine  alone,  (as  is 
often  the  case,)  is  limited  to  the  cost  of  fifty 
6^ 


58 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


roubles ;  and  as  every  arrangement  belonging 
to  the  imperial  kitchen  is  supplied  by  con¬ 
tract,  under  the  superintendence  of  the  grand 
maitre  du  'palais^  there  is  a  fixed  rate  for  all 
expenses,  which  is  never  exceeded.  When¬ 
ever  a  ball  is  given  at  court,  the  supper  is 
calculated  at  one  thousand  roubles  for  every 
fifty  guests,  and  so  in  proportion.  At  the 
grand  ball  given  the  other  night  by  the  Em¬ 
peror,  at  the  Winter  Palace,  a  supper  was 
served  for  eleven  hundred  persons;  but  some 
idea  maybe  formed  of  the  additional  expenses, 
when  not  less  than  three  thousand  wax-lights 
were  burning  in  the  marble  hall  alone,  which 
was  the  scene  of  this  splendid  banquet.  The 
Turkish  envoys  were  invited :  Halib  Pacha 
danced  a  Polonaise,  which  was  considered  a 
great  departure  from  Turkish  prejudices, 
though  quite  in  unison  with  the-  Sultan’s 
avowed  partiality  for  European  innovations. 
The  dress  of  these  Turks  is  likewise  con¬ 
formed  to  the  same  bias;  the  turban  is  ex¬ 
ploded  in  favour  of  a  Greek  embroidered  cap, 
and  the  uniform  which  they  wear  is  worked 
in  silver  like  a  Hussars  jacket:  nothing,  in 
fact,  can  be  more  incongruous.  They  have 
lost  all  the  dignified  originality  of  their  na¬ 
tional  costume,  and  have  adppted;  a  semi-bar- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


59 


barous  mixture  of  European  and  Asiatic  ha¬ 
bit,  without  any  peculiar  character,  which 
has  neither  the  modern  taste  of  the  one,  nor 
the  ancient  dignity  of  the  other.  The  Salle 
Blanche  was  illuminated  for  the  dance  with 
equal  splendour. 

Having  touched  upon  the  Emperor,  I  may 
next  advert  to  his  prime  minister.  Count  Nes¬ 
selrode,  a  name  which  has  acquired  much 
celebrity  in  Europe.  He  is  chancellor,  as 
well  as  chief  secretary  of  state  for  the  foreign 
department;  he  is  a  favourite  of  his  sovereign, 
but  as  to  power  and  influence,  beyond  his 
chancery,  he  has  none;  all  centres  in  the 
great  presiding  head,  which  rules  this  vast 
empire  without  control.  Count  Nesselrode 
is  a  German  by  birth,  of  no  family,  and  the 
road  which  has  led  to  his  high  preferment  in 
Russia  is  worthy  of  remark.  The  partiality 
of  the  late  Emperor  for  foreigners  is  notorious : 
they  were  early  in  life  enlisted  into  his  ser¬ 
vice,  and  trained  up  in  the  public  offices 
with  a  certainty  of  promotion,  if  their  talents 
deserved  it.  During  the  frequent  illness  of 
the  chancellor  Romanzoff,  which  often  in¬ 
capacitated  him  from  obeying  the  summons 
of  his  master,  two.  young  men,,  who  had  be- 


60 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


come  his  private  secretaries,  were  in  the  ha¬ 
bit  of  attending  his  Majesty  with  the  chan¬ 
cellor’s  portfolio  from  the  foreign  office,  and 
of  receiving  his  orders  as  to  the  contents. 
These  two  yonng  men  w^ere  Nesselrode  and 
Capo  d’Istrias. 

Repeated  communications  of  this  nature 
introduced  them  both  to  the  peculiar  notice 
of  Alexander,  who  was  not  backward  in  ob¬ 
serving  their  quickness  of  perception  and 
talents  for  business.  When  the  French  in¬ 
vasion,  in  1812,  had  been  repelled,  and  the 
subsequent  campaigns  in  Europe  had  been 
arranged  between  the  members  of  the  new 
coalition,  it  became  evident  to  the  Emperor, 
that  the  health  of  his  minister  for  foreign  af¬ 
fairs  would  be  quite  unequal  to  the  fatigue  of 
such  a  formidable  journey.  The  selection  of 
these  two  young  foreigners  then  naturally 
suggested  itself  to  supply  the  place  of  Ro- 
manzoff,  and  they  were  accordingly  nomi¬ 
nated  to  follow  the  armies  in  the  suite  of 
Alexander,  as  joint  secretaries  of  the  cabinet. 
They  were  present  at  all  the  negotiations 
during  the  war,  and  the  subsequent  confe¬ 
rences  at  Vienna,  where  they  both  distin¬ 
guished  themselves  by  so  much  address  and 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


61 


talent  in  that  department,  that  they  rose 
highly  in  the  favour  and  estimation  of  their 
sovereign.  . 

When  Alexander  returned  to  Petersburg, 
he  gave  them  a  convincing  proof  of  his  con¬ 
fidence^  by  permitting  them  to  hold  jointly 
the  portfolio  for  foreign  affairs.  Never  were 
two  young  men  united  in  the  same  office, 
and  equally  protected  by  the  same  sovereign, 
whose  characters  differed  so  widely  from  each 
other.  The  caution  -and  reserve  of  Nessel¬ 
rode  was  strongly  contrasted  by  the  frank¬ 
ness  and  enthusiasm  of  Capo  dTstrias.  The 
one  was  the  firm  supporter  of  absolutism,  and 
the  old  legitimate  system ;  the  other  was  the 
warm  advocate  of  liberty,  and  the  new  theo¬ 
ries  of  the  day. 

Alexander  himself  clung  to  both  alternate¬ 
ly,  as  the  wavering  principles  of  his  political 
character  fluctuated  at  times  from  one  side 
to  the  other.  Early  education  and  old  re¬ 
collections  pleaded  in  favour  of  Nesselrode, 
while  his  later  bias  towards  liberal  feelings 
attached  him  to  Capo  d’Istrias,  who  sedulous¬ 
ly  encouraged  them.  So  far  indeed  had  the 
sophistry  of  the  latter  prevailed  at  one  time 
over  the  generous  spirit  of  his  master,  that 
he  engaged  the  despotic  Sovereign  of  Russia 


62 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


to  aid  and  abet  the  revolutionary  projects  of 
his  countryman,  Ypsilante,  in  throwing  off 
the  Turkish  yoke,  and  proclaiming  the  inde¬ 
pendence  of  Greece. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Alexander  at  that 
time  had  become  deeply  tinged  with  the  new 
doctrines,  and  probably  was  guided  by  a  no¬ 
ble  impulse  in  this  instance ;  but  as  the  views 
of  Russia  have  constantly  been  directed  to 
the  attainment  of  an  ascendency  over  those 
oppressed  provinces,  it  may  always  remain 
a  question  how  far  this  suspicious  and  secret 
interference  was  really  disinterested  on  his 
part.  As  far  as  Capo  d’Istrias  himself  was  con¬ 
cerned,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  his  influ¬ 
ence  with  his  Sovereign  was  solely  used  to 
rescue  his  country  from  a  degrading  subjec¬ 
tion  without  any  arriere-pensee  of  giving  them 
another  master.  An  enthusiastic  love  of  li¬ 
berty  was  the  leading  passion  of  his  heart. 

Such  was  the  state  of  affairs  in  the  cabinet 
of  St.  Petersburg  in  1821,  when  the  news  ar¬ 
rived  that  a  revolution  had  broken  out  in  the 
kingdom  of  Naples;  and  a  summons  from 
the  allied  powers  to  a  conference  at  Troppau 
rendered  the  departure  of  Alexander  and  his 
two  secretaries  a  matter  of  immediate  neces¬ 
sity. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


63 


The  measures  to  be  taken  on  this  new 
kindling  of  the  revolutionary  flame  were  now 
to  be  discussed,  and  the  alarm  was  not  di¬ 
minished  at  the  congress,  when  Alexander, 
listening  always  to  the  suggestion  of  his 
Greek  secretary,  professed  himself  opposed 
to  any  armed  interference  with  a  view  to  re¬ 
press  the  cry  for  liberty  in  a  foreign  state. 
In  vain  did  Prince  Metternich  urge,  with  all 
his  eloquence,  the  necessity  of  marching  an 
Austrian  army  without  delay  against  the 
Neapolitan  rebels;  Alexander  still  remained 
averse  to  hostile  measures.  At  length  it  was 
determined,  at  all  events,  to  wait  till  the 
King  of  Naples  could  escape  from  his  own 
dominions,  and  the  congress  was  removed 
forthwith  to  Laybach,  as  a  point  nearer  to 
the  scene  of  action,  in  order  to  await  his  ar¬ 
rival. 

During  that  interval  circumstances  oc¬ 
curred  which  gave  a  new  turn  to  the  pend¬ 
ing  deliberations,  and  produced  a  more  de¬ 
cided  unanimity  in  the  general  views  and 
objects  of  the  assembled  sovereigns.  Among 
other  questions  which  could  not  fail  to  sug¬ 
gest  themselves  at  such  a  moment,  that  of 
Greece  inevitably  demanded  consideration, 
}x)th  as  a  new  source  of  revolutionary  prii\- 


64 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


oiples,  and  as  materially  implicating  the  re¬ 
lations  which  then  existed  between  Austria 
and  the  Porte.  After  all  the  secret  encou¬ 
ragement  given  by  Capo  d’Istrias  to  the  pro¬ 
jects  of  Ypsilante,  the  embarrassment  of 
Alexander  may  well  be  conceived,  when  he 
found  that  the  wily  Metternich  was  prepared 
to  side  with  the  Sultan.  Two  lines  of  poli¬ 
cy,  so  widely  different,  could  not  be  permit¬ 
ted  to  exist  simultaneously  in  a  congress, 
which  had  purposely  met  for  the  great  gene¬ 
ral  object  of  repressing  disorder,  and  pro-  • 
moting  the  tranquillity  of  Europe. 

The  discussion,  as  may  be  supposed,  was 
serious;  but  the  undecided  Autocrat,  still 
floating  between  two  opinions,  was  at  last 
brought  round  to  the  maxims  of  his  oppo¬ 
nents,  and  finished  by  disavowing  all  parti¬ 
cipation  in  the  plots  which  were  brewing  for 
Greek  emancipation. 

These  tardy  convictions  soon  assumed  a 
more  decided  aspect,  when  certain  mutinous 
symptoms  broke  out  in  the  regiments  of 
guards  at  Petersburg,  and  forcibly  proved  to 
the  Emperor,  that  while  he  was  indulging  in 
vague  theories  of  liberty  abroad,  his  own 
power  and  even  his  throne  were  already 
placed  in  jeopardy  by  the  dissemination  of 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


65 


those  Very  principles  at  home.  An  appeal 
to  private  interest  is  seldom  made  in  vain; 
and  the  apprehension  of  consequences,  which 
he  had  never  before  anticipated,  acted  so 
powerfully  on  the  mind  of  Alexander,  that 
all  opposition  to  the  projected  military  move¬ 
ments  An  the  Italian  states  was  instantly 
withdrawn. 

The  King  of  Naples  arrived  at  Laybach, 
and  this  event  was  speedily  followed  by  a 
farther  insurrection  in  Piedmont,  which  add¬ 
ed  fresh  fuel  to  the  revolutionary  flame,  and 
electrified  the  congress,  but  more  particular¬ 
ly  the  Austrian  cabinet,  with  alarm  and  con¬ 
sternation.  No  time  was  to  be  lost  in  taking 
up  the  gauntlet,  which  sedition  had  thrown 
down;  and  Alexander,  who  partook  of  these 
feelings,  perhaps  more  violently  to  palliate 
his  previous  apathy,  became  earnest  and  cla¬ 
morous  in  his  proposals  to  summon  a  Rus¬ 
sian  army  from  his  Polish  frontier,  to  assist 
in  quelling  this  formidable  and  wide-spread¬ 
ing  mischief  Much  as  the  intractability  of 
that  sovereign,  in  the  first  instance,  had  dis¬ 
concerted  the  views  of  Metternich,  this  new 
demonstration  of  energy  and  vigour  in  the 
common  causCj  produced  not  less  in  that 

VOL.  II. — 7 


66 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


wary  statesman  a  secret  feeling  of  anxiety 
and  vexation.  The  jealous  policy  of  Austria 
was  thwarted  at  once  in  two  points.  It 
dreaded  any  fresh  precedent  for  the  intro¬ 
duction  of  those  numerous  bands  from  the 
north  to  arbitrate,  sword  in  hand,  in  the  in¬ 
ternal  arrangements  of  the  great  European 
family;  and  conscious  of  its  own  ability  to 
triumph  alone  on  the  present  occasion,  it  saw 
with  envy  and  ill-will  the  attempt  of  any  fo¬ 
reign  rival  to  share  the  laurels  on  a  soil  where 
its  own  private  interests  were  so  immediately 
concerned.  To  prevent  this  collision,  and 
forestall  the  advance  of  the  Russian  troops, 
orders  were  sent  to  the  Austrian  corps,  under 
General  Fremont,  to  enter  Italy,  and  march 
direct  upon  Naples.  With  so  much  despatch 
were  these  commands  obeyed,  that  in  two* 
days  that  division,  the  flower  of  the  Austrian 
army,  arrived  at  Laybach,  .where  the  disgust¬ 
ing  scene  was  exhibited  of  his  Neapolitan 
Majesty  calmly  passing  in  review  the  batta¬ 
lions  of  a  foreign  power,  openly  commissioned 
to  lay  waste  his  dominions,  and  butcher  his 
own  subjects. 

The  rest  of  that  crusade  is  well  known : 
thQ  invaders  met  with  no  resistance,  and  the 
ill-concerted  revolution  was  scattered  to  the 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


67 


winds.  The  insurrection  in  Piedmont  was 
of  still  shorter  duration ;  General  Bubna/wlio 
commanded  at  Milan,  without  waiting  for 
any  orders  from  his  own  government,  col¬ 
lected  all  the  troops  from  the  neighbouring 
garrisons,  fell  upon  the  rebels,  and  in  two 
days  completed  their  destruction.  The  re¬ 
ward  of  this  heroic  act,  which  restored  tran¬ 
quillity  to  a  whole  province,  and  what  was 
more  dear  to  Austrian  policy,  rendered  all 
Russian  interference  by  arms  in  Italy  nuga¬ 
tory  and  unnecessary,  was  the  disapproba¬ 
tion  of  his  conduct  by  that  sensitive  cabinet, 
because  he  had  taken  upon  himself  to  follow 
the  impulse  of  his  own  judgment,  without 
the  proper  instructions  from  the  Aulic  Coun¬ 
cil,  He  was  treated  wdth  marked  neglect  at 
Vienna,  and  afterwards  died  of  a  broken  heart 
in  1823.  The  false  position  in  w’hich  Alex¬ 
ander  had  placed  himself  during  this  confe¬ 
rence,  and  the  unsatisfactory  result, which,  it 
had  produced  to  himself,  effected  a  considera¬ 
ble  change  in  his  feeling  of  good-will  and 
cordiality  towards  Capo  d’Istrias,  to  whose 
liberal  notions  and  counsels  much  of  the  late 
mortification  of  his  master  might  fairly  be 
attributed.  There  were  not  wanting  those 
about  the  Emperor,  whose  opinions  and  in- 


68 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


terests  were  diametrically  opposed  to  those 
of  the  Greek  secretary,  and  who  eagerly 
availed  themselves  of  his  partial  disgrace  to 
widen  the  breach,  and  foment  the  displeasure 
under  which  he  laboured.  The  Austrian 
prime  minister,  who  found  in  M.  de  Nessel¬ 
rode  a  warm  admirer  of  legitimate  doctrines, 
threw  all  his  personal  weight  and  influence 
into  the  scale  to  assist  his  views  of  ambition, 
and  establish  him  in  the  favour  of  Alexander, 
at  the  expense  of  his  colleague,  with  whose 
opinions  he  himself  was  openly  at  variance. 
Under  such  circumstances,  it  is  not  sur¬ 
prising  that  the  coolness  of  that  sovereign  to¬ 
wards  Capo  d’Istrias  should  have  undergone 
no  diminution ;  attempts  were  made  to  dis¬ 
cover  his  private  correspondence ;  his  steady 
adherence  to  liberal  principles  became  an  ob¬ 
ject  of  suspicion ;  and  though  he  followed  his 
master  back  to  Petersburg,  it  was  evident 
that  he  had  lost  an  influence  which  could 
never  be  regained.  On  the  other  hand,  his 
German  colleague,  in  the  same  proportion 
rose  in  the  favour  and  confldence  of  the  Em¬ 
peror;  both  continued  in  oflice,  but  the  dis¬ 
tinction  was  too  marked  for  the  high  inde¬ 
pendent  spirit  of  Capo  d’Istrias,  and  in  the 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


69 


following  year  he  requested  leave  to  resign 
liis  post,  which  was  granted. 

He  travelled  into  Switzerland,  carrying 
with  him  marks  of  the  Emperor’s  munifi¬ 
cence,  who,  far  from  hearing  ill-will  to  a 
faithful  but  perhaps  incautious,  servant,  kept 
up  a  correspondence  with  him  by  letter,  and 
has  since  intrusted  him  with  a  mission  of  im¬ 
portance  to  Greece,  where  he  now  resides. 

M.  de  Nesselrode,  left  without  a  rival,  was 
secured  in  his  situation  as  minister  for  foreign 
affairs  at  Petersburg.  At  the  death  of  Alex¬ 
ander  he  was  retained  in  the  same  post  by 
his  present  Majesty;  and  from  his  talents  and 
assiduity,  but  more  particularly  from  the  inti¬ 
mate  knowledge  which  he  possesses,  through 
long  experience,  of  the  policy  and  views  of 
all  the  different  cabinets  in  Europe,  he  will 
no  doubt  enjoy,  to  the  end  of  his  life,  the  fa¬ 
vour  and  confidence  of  the  Emperor  Nicho¬ 
las. 

I  have  been  carried  away  by  my  subject  to 
give  you  this  long  detail ;  but  as  all  the  cir¬ 
cumstances  are  true,  and  by  no  means  gene¬ 
rally  known,  I  trust  you  will  find  they  have 
sufficient  interest  to  plead  my  excuse. 

I  should  also  add,  as  a  farther  particular, 
that  the  Russian  army,  summoned  at  the 

7^^ 


70 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAK. 


above  juncture  by  Alexander  to  join  in  quell¬ 
ing  the  Neapolitan  revolution,  amounted  to 
forty  thousand  men,  who  were  already  on 
their  march  to  the  Austrian  frontier.  The 
chief  command  was  intrusted  to  General  Yer- 
moloff,  who  came  express  from  the  Caucasus, 
and  the  staff  to  Lieut.  General  Diebitsch, 
both  of  whom  had  already  arrived  at  Lay- 
bach  for  that  purpose ;  when  the  rapid  termi¬ 
nation  of  the  campaign  by  Austria  rendered 
it  necessary  to  countermand  the  march  of  the 
Russians. 

The  popularity  of  General  Bubna  at  Milan 
was  universal;  it  not  only  extended  to  the 
Italians,  but  personally  to  those  who  were 
actually  conspiring  against  the  Austrian 
yoke;  many  of  whom,  to  the  last  moment, 
frequented  his  salons.  He  was  well  informed 
of  what  was  going  on,  and  prepared  to  act 
with  energy  when  the  occasion  required  it; 
and  though  he  received  all  with  good-hu¬ 
mour  and  cordiality,  he  kept  a  sharp  eye  on 
their  proceedings. 

Among  the  foreigners  then  residing  at  Mi¬ 
lan  was  our  good  friend  Lord  K - ,  who, 

to  numerous  amiable  and  valuable  qualities, 
added  perhaps  a  too  exaggerated  idea  of  libe¬ 
ral  principles ;  and,  from  the  warm  feelings 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


71 


of  his  nature,  was  occasionally  tempted  to 
take  too  lively  an  interest  in  the  political  af¬ 
fairs  of  other  nations.  Bubna,  who  lived 
with  him  on  terms  of  intimacy,  and  was  well 
aware  of  his  bias  towards  the  cause  which 
he  himself  was  bound  to  put  down,  felt  anx¬ 
ious  /that  he  should  not  be  drawn  into  any 
position  which  might  at  all  implicate  him 
with  the  Austrian  Government.  He  there¬ 
fore  one  day  took  him  aside,  and  spoke  to 
him  in  the  following  manner: — “  I  have  the 
greatest  personal  regard  for  you,  and  respect 
for  your  character;  but  I  am  aware  of  cer¬ 
tain  intimacies  which  you  have  formed  here 
with  those  whom  it  is  my  duty  to  watch;  in¬ 
formation  is  daily  brought  to  me — and,  whe¬ 
ther  well  founded  or  not,  if  your  name  should 
be  included,  I  must  order  your  arrest.  One 
word  will  set  my  mind  at  rest — I  know  the 
value  of  an  English  gentleman’s  word;  give 
me  your  promise,  as  a  man  of  honour,  that 
you  will  not  countenance  any  steps  against 
the  government,  and  I  shall  never  listen  to 
any  remark  that  may  be  made  about  you.” 
The  word  was  instantly  given,  and  all  suspi¬ 
cion  vanished. 

One  evening,  when  visiters  as  usual  were 
assembled  in  the  salons  of  General  Bubna,  he 


72 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


himself  was  engaged  at  a  game  of  cards,  in 
the  midst  of  which  a  packet  of  despatches 
was  brought  in,  which  seemed  to  require  im¬ 
mediate  attention.  Giving  his  hand  to  one 
of  his  aides-de-camp  to  play  for  him,  he  re¬ 
tired  to  his  cabinet,  saying,  that  he  would 
return  in  a  few  minutes.  Half  an  hour 
elapsed,  and  still  the  general  did  not  make 
his  appearance ;  at  last,  after  a  full  hour,  he 
entered  the  room  with  his  pipe  in  his  mouth, 
in  full  uniform,  and '  a  travelling  cap  on  his 

head.  He  then  addressed  Lord  K - with 

a  smile,  and  said,  ‘'Adieu!  my  carriage  is  at 
the  door ;  before  to-morrow  is  past  vous  aurez 
de  mes  nouvellesy 

The  revolution  had  broken  out;  the  gene¬ 
ral  in  six  hours  afterwards  was  engaged  on 
the  scene  of  action  with  the  Piedmontese  in¬ 
surgents;  and  the  news  of  his  success  was 
brought  to  Milan  within  the  time  he  had  pre¬ 
dicted. 


Yours  ever. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZA,R. 


73 


r 


LETTER  XX. 

Prince  Metternich  challenged  to  fight  a  duel  by  the  Emperor 
Alexander. — Details  connected  with  this  curious  circumstance. — 
Ceremonies  at  the  Carnival. — Entertainment  at  the  House  of 
the  English  Embassy. — The  Mazourka. — The  Supper.— An  in¬ 
truder. — Display  of  beauty. — Presence  of  the  Emperor  and  Em¬ 
press. — Mal-a,-propos  selection  of  a  Comedy. 

Petersburg,  24th  February,  1830. 

My  dear - , 

I  really  might  begin  this  letter  with  a 
hyrielle  of  epithets,  like  Madame  de  Sevigne, 
when  she  announced  the  marriage  of  M.  de 
Lauzun  with  the  Grande  Mademoiselle.  I 
might  say,  that  I  have  just  been  told  from 
undoubted  authority,  la  chose  la  plus  sin- 
guliere,  la  plus  curieuse,  la  plus  extraordi¬ 
naire,  la  plus  merveilleuse,  la  plus  incroya- 
ble,  et  cependant  la  plus  vraie. ’ ’  After  having 
raised  your  curiosity  to  this  pitch,  I  will 
come  to  the  point  at  once ;  though  I  think  I 


74 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


hear  you  say  to  yourself,  “  The  traveller  is 
going  to  use  his  privilege.”  We  have  all 
heard  of  the  intimate  friendship  which 
existed  at  the  time  between  the  Emperor 
Alexander  and  Prince  Metternich;  but,  all 
is  not  gold  that  glitters ;  and  those  who  are 
in  high  and  elevated  stations  are  not  more 
exempt  from  private  pique  and  secret  heart¬ 
burnings  than  their  more  humble  neighbours. 
This  puissant  Emperor  Alexander  once  sent 
a  formal  challenge  to  Prince  Metternich  to 
fight  a  duel  with  him,  like  two  young  stu¬ 
dents  from  the  Ecole  Poly  technique,  or  two 
tapageurs  from  the  Cafe  Tortoni.  I  am  now 
going  to  give  you  the  details.  This  curious 
event  took  place  during  the  meeting  of  the 
Congress  at  Vienna  in  the  year  1814,  when 
the  parties  interested  were  occupied  in  re¬ 
modelling  the  affairs  of  Europe,  after  the 
overthrow  of  Napoleon,  and  held  in  their 
hands,  it  may  be  said,  the  destinies  of  the 
world. 

It  will  be  necessary  first  to  look  a  little  be¬ 
hind  the  curtain,  and  explain  the  bias  of  cer¬ 
tain  private  feelings  which  influenced  the 
minds  and  views  of  these  self-constituted  ar¬ 
biters  in  their  territorial  allotments  to  them¬ 
selves,  as  well  as  to  those  powers  who  sued 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


75 


at  the  bar  of  their  modern  Areopagus.  When 
the  question  respecting  the  fate  of  Saxony 
was  agitated  at  the  Congress  her  faithful  ad¬ 
herence  to  treaties,  and  her  persevering  con¬ 
stancy  to  the  last  in  the  cause  of  Napoleon, 
had  incurred  the  indignation  of  these  awful 
legislators,  and  serious  projects  were,  for  a 
moment,  entertained  of  a  total  dismember¬ 
ment. 

This  idea,  from  various  under  causes,  to 
which  it  is  unnecessary  to  allude,  was  finally 
abandoned — but  even  this  act  of  clemency 
may  be  attributed  to  no  feeling  of  national 
commiseration.  It  originated  solely  in  jar¬ 
ring  interests  and  secret  jealousies  amongst 
the  judges  themselves,  which  required  either 
a  barrier  on  the  one  side,  or  point  de  menace 
on  the  other,  according  to  their  own  geogra¬ 
phical  positions. 

If  then  the  kingdom  of  Saxony  was  per : 
mitted  to  exist,  it  became  not  the  less  neces¬ 
sary  that  her  sovereign  should  pay  the  pe¬ 
nalty  of  his  sins,  and  indemnify  those  who 
had  suffered  in  the  cause  which  he  had  so 
pertinaciously  aided  and  abetted. 

Among  the  foremost  in  this  class  was 
Prussia,  who  showed  great  anxiety  to  obtain, 
in  the  proposed  partition  of  that  kingdom,  a 


76 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAH. 


larger  share  of  territory  than  it  suited  the 
Austrian  policy  to  concede.  But  still  her 
claims  were  so  undeniable,  she  had  rendered 
such  eminent  services  to  the  common  cause 
during  the  war,  and  had  sustained  such  sig¬ 
nal  losses  in  her  various  struggles  against 
the  power  of  Napoleon,  that  it  became  a  very 
delicate  and  embarrassing  task  for  Austria 
to  take  an  open  and  decided  part  in  opposi¬ 
tion  to  the  views  of  that  power. 

It  was  not,  however,  in  the  nature  of 
Prince  Metternich  to  abandon  a  project  once 
firmly  conceived ;  he,  therefore,  only  changed 
his  policy,  and  sought  privately  to  frustrate 
the  views  of  Prussia,  through  the  influence 
and  opposition  of  other  powers.  His  machi¬ 
nations,  as  usual,  were  crowned  with  success ; 
England  and  France  entered  into  his  views, 
and  it  next  became  essential  to  secure  the 
assent  and  co-operation  of  Russia.  This  point 
was  so  much  the  more  difficult,  as  a  simi¬ 
larity  of  ideas  and  family  connexions  had 
rendered  the  Emperor  Alexander  and  the 
King  of  Prussia  most  firmly  attached  to  each 
other;  but  an  unexpected  circumstance, 
hinging  solely  upon  the  romantic  character 
of  the  former  sovereign,  induced  him,  though 
much  against  his  will,  to  enter  into  those  po- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


77 


litical  views  which  the  wily  Austrian  mi¬ 
nister  had  suggested  to  the  other  confede¬ 
rates. 

The  King  of  Saxony  had  been  placed  in  a 
most  humiliating  position :  he  had  requested 
permission  to  plead  his  cause  formally  before 
the  Congress,  which  had  been  flatly  denied ; 
he  was  left  to  await  a  sentence  from  which 
there  was  no  appeal — a  sentence  of  confisca¬ 
tion,  to  which  no  limits  were  fixed  but  in  the 
breasts  of  his  adversaries. 

Alexander,  whose  goodness  of  heart  was  on 
some  occasions  carried  to  excess,  was  at  that 
time  imbued  with  very  exaggerated  and  chi¬ 
valrous  notions  upon  matters  of  policy;  he 
was  struck  with  feelings  of  commiseration 
for  a  sovereign,  reduced  to  the  degrading  state 
of  an  humble  petitioner;  and  giving  way  at 
once  to  the  charitable  impulse  of  his  nature, 
he  became  an  unreluctant  favourer  of  the 
Austrian  politics.  Metternich  found  little 
difficulty  in  engaging  him  on  the  side  of  the 
King  of  Saxony. 

The  mortification  of  Prussia  at  this  unex¬ 
pected  derangement  of  her  plans  may  easily 
be  conceived,  but  when  so  many  statesmen 
of  various  biases  and  opinions  were  assembled 
together  in  one  capital,  it  was  not  possible 

VOL.  II. — 8 


78 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


that  a  state  secret  of  snch  importance  could 
long  remain  undetected.  Prince  Hardenberg 
soon  unravelled  the  whole  plot,  and  discovered 
the  real  author  of  all  those  manoeuvres,  which 
had  led  to  the  discomfiture  of  his  claims  and 
pretensions.  From  that  hour  he  determined  on 
taking  a  signal  vengeance  of  his  artful  adver¬ 
sary.  The  story  is  worthy  of  remark,  if  it  were 
only  as  a  type  of  diplomatic  morality,  of  that 
laxity  of  principle,  which  men  of  high  un¬ 
blemished  character  in  private  life  still  think 
allowable  in  their  public  transactions. 

Hardenberg  and  Metternich  had  long  been 
bound  by  ties  of  mutual  friendship  and  con¬ 
fidence  :  they  had  both  been  actuated  by  the 
same  feelings  in  all  the  great  political  ques¬ 
tions  which  had  been  hitherto  discussed  be¬ 
tween  their  respective  governments.  Their 
official  correspondence  as  ministers  had  al¬ 
ways  testified  their  sincere  wish  for  peace 
and  amity;  while  their  private  letters  as  friends 
were  written  in  a  strain  of  intimacy,  and 
unreserved  familiarity,  which  is  perhaps  very 
unusual  with  such  wary  diplomatists. 

On  referring  back  to  these  incautious 
communications  from  his  friend.  Prince  Har¬ 
denberg  accidentally  placed  his  finger  on  a 
private  letter  from  Prince  Metternich,  written 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


79 


at  a  time,  when  the  supposed  views  and  pro¬ 
fessed  sentiments  of  the  Russian  Emperor 
were  very  much  at  variance  with  the  course 
of  policy  supported  by  the  Austrian  cabinet. 
A  great  feeling  of  rancour  and  ill-will  was 
apparent  in  this  epistle;  severe  comments 
were  made  on  the  political  conduct  of  Alex¬ 
ander,  who  was  himself  technically  denomi¬ 
nated  the  barbarous  Scytliia^i,  and  the  ^hole 
concluded  with  some  personal  allusions  to 
that  sovereign,  of  a  very  offensive  nature, 
and  admirably  calculated  to  wound  the  vanity 
which  formed  an  ingredient  of  his  character. 
Hardenberg  had  no  sooner  cast  his  eye  over 
this  letter,  than  he  saw  at  once  the  advan¬ 
tage  which  might  be  derived  from  it,  in  far¬ 
thering  his  plans  of  vengeance  on  the  writer. 
Perhaps  some  lurking  resentment  against 
Alexander  himself,  for  the  readiness  with 
which  he  had  lent  himself  to  the  projects  of 
the  opposing  party,  might  have  found  an  ad¬ 
ditional  gratification,  in  rendering  him  sub¬ 
servient  to  the  scheme,  which  he  immediate¬ 
ly  decided  on  adopting. 

Prince  Hardenberg  at  this  time  was 
charged  by  the  Emperor  of  Russia  to  furnish 
him  with  certain  documents  concerning  the 
Prussian  boundaries,  for  his  own  private  in- 


80 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


spection;  and,  in  compliance  therewith,  a 
voluminous  mass  of  papers  was  forwarded  to 
his  apartment  from  the  Prussian  Chancery ; 
but,  by  some  inexplicable  inadvertence^  this 
mischievous  letter  had  accidentally  found  its 
way  into  the  packet,  and  at  once  attracted 
the  notice  of  the  Emperor. 

To  describe  the  rage  and  fury  of  Alexan¬ 
der  when  he  read  this  tissue  of  invective 
against  himself,  from  the  pen  of  one  whom 
he  had  treated  with  so  much  friendship  and 
consideration,  would  be  impossible.  He  saw 
in  it  not  only  an  act  of  public  perfidy,  but  of 
private  insult:  the  former  he  might  over¬ 
look  or  despise;  but  the  latter  appeared  to 
him  such  a  wanton  outrage  of  his  feelings  as 
a  gentleman,  that  he  instantly  determined 
upon  calling  him  to  a  personal  account. 
What  then  must  have  been  the  amazement 

of - when  the  Emperor  sent  for  him  into 

his  presence,  and  resolutely  commissioned 
him  to  carry  a  formal  challenge  in  his  name 
to  Prince  Metternich.  He  was  at  first  over¬ 
come  with  stupor ;  remonstrance  with  a  so¬ 
vereign  was  impossible;  and  the  violent  ex¬ 
citement  under  which  the  commission  was 
given  sufficiently  proved  that  the  giver  was 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR.  81. 

not  in  a  temper  of  mind  to  listen  to  such  in¬ 
terference. 

On  leaving  his  Imperial  Majesty, - 

went  forthwith  to  the  Archduke  Charles,  and 
recited  what  had  passed ;  he  said  that  no  time 
must  he  lost  in  appeasing  the  sovereign^  and 
arranging  the  affair,  as  he  felt  confident  that 
if  the  message  was  not  carried,  the  Emperor 
was  capable  of  offering  some  public  affront 
to  his  adversary  at  the  grand  ball  which  was 
to  be  given  that  night  at  the  palace. 

A  private  meeting  was  immediately  held 
of  the  highest  and  most  influential  characters 
at  Vienna,  to  adopt  some  measures  of  accom¬ 
modation,  though  the  Emperor  at  first  would 
not  listen  to  any  representations.  He  quoted 
the  example  of  Charles  the  Fifth,  who  chal- 
langed  Francis  the  First  to  single  combat; 
and,  as  the  personal  allusions  seemed  to 
rankle  in  his  mind  much  more  deeply  than 
the  other  expressions,  he  was  inexhaustible 
in  his  complaints  of  the  wound  which  had 
been  inflicted  on  his  private  honour.  At 
length  the  intercessions  and  expostulations 
of  so  many  distinguished  personages  propiti¬ 
ated  his  anger,  which  was  only  demonstrated 
that  night  by  turning  his  back  to  M.  de  Hot¬ 
ter  nich,  when  he,  unconscious  of  all  that  had 
8* 


82 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


passed,  approached  to  pay  his  respects  to  him. 
Two  or  three  years  passed  away  before  the 
Emperor  Alexander  would  have  any  private 
communication  with  the  Prince  on  any  sub¬ 
ject  ;  and,  though  he  afterwards  appeared  to 
have  overlooked  the  offence,  it  is  probable 
that  it  never  was  either  completely  forgiven 
or  forgotten. 

Great  care  was  taken  at  the  time,  by  the 
few  who  were  privy  to  the  transaction,  that 
it  should  not  be  made  public ;  but  many  of 
those  who  did  know  it,  and,  in  their  study  of 
human  nature,  were  w’ont  to  trace  effects  to 
their  real  causes,  have  accounted  for  the 
subsequent  disposition  of  Alexander  to  en¬ 
courage  free  and  liberal  principles,  by  a  wish 
to  thwart  and  mortify  a  man  who  had  be¬ 
haved  towards  him  with  so  much  duplicity. 
My  last  letter  will  have  shown  that,  even  in 
1821,  this  feeling,  on  his  part,  preponderated 
at  Laybach;  and  it  is  not  unreasonable  to 
suppose  that  the  wound,  inflicted  through 
Hardenberg’s  malice,  was  not  even  at  that 
period  entirely  healed. 

Alexander’s  reluctance  at  first  to  permit 
an  armed  interference  at  Naples,  and  the 
anxious  jealousy  of  Prince  Metternich  af¬ 
terwards  to  prevent  the  arrival  of  Russian 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


83 


trdops,  are  no  mean  indications  that  very  lit¬ 
tle  sympathy  or  good  will  existed  between 
the  Russian  sovereign  and  the  Austrian  mi¬ 
nister. 

The  poet  has  said, 

r 

“What  great  events  from  trivial  causes  spring;”' 

and  the  history  of  mankind  abounds  with  in¬ 
stances  to  prove  the  axiom.  Human  nature 
is  the  same  in  every  degree,  from  the  prince 
to  the  peasant;  it  is  governed  by  the  same 
passions,  and  liable  to  the  same  infirmities, 
but  with  a  vast  difference  in  the  results,  pro¬ 
portioned  to  their  sphere  of  action;  a  bloody 
war  in  the  Palatinate  may  be  traced  to  a  mo¬ 
mentary  indigestion  of  Louvois,  and  the  fate 
of  a  whole  nation  may  be  changed  by  a  sar¬ 
castic  remark  on  the  figure  of  Alexander. 

With  a  view  to  infuse  a  little  spirit  into 
the  entertainment  of  the  Carnival,  balls  have 
been  given  by  all  the  foreign  ministers,  at 
which  the  Emperor,  Empress,  Grand-duke 
Michael,  &c.,  have  constantly  attended,  with 
this  distinction,  that  to  the  houses  of  the  three 
ambassadors  the  imperial  family  came  by  in¬ 
vitation,  but  to  the  envoys  extraordinary,  and 
others,  they  were  supposed  to  come  as  unex;- 


84 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


pected  evening  visiters,  such  being  the  eti¬ 
quette  of  the  Russian  court. 

In  both  instances,  however,  the  ceremony 
was  the  same ;  the  Empress  wore  a  profusion 
of  jewels,  and  all  the  high  officers  of  state 
were  in  attendance  on  their  majesties. 

That  which  was  given  by  Lord  and  Lady 
H—  — ,  at  the  English  Embassy,  took  place 
the  night  before  last,  (22d,)  and  it  would  be 
difficrdt  to  see  a  more  magnificent  fete  in  any 
other  country.  The  house  is  spacious,  and 
was  brilliantly  illuminated;  the  Empress, 
who  is  very  fond  of  dancing,  and  is  herself 
a  very  graceful  figure,  was  the  most  conspi¬ 
cuous  object  in  the  ball-room;  she  danced 
like  any  private  individual,  without  ceremo¬ 
ny,  and  remarkably  well,  during  the  whole 
night;  entering  into  all  the  spirit  of  the  Ma- 
zourka,  which  is  here  a  national  dance,  and. 
performed  in  the  greatest  perfection.  /The 
air  of  the  Mazourka  is  varied  and  pleasing ; 
the  step,  if  gracefully  executed,  might  be  dif¬ 
ficult  to  a  foreigner;  but  I  have  no  doubt 

Lord  V - s,  who  has  become  a  proficient, 

will  introduce  it  next  year  with  great  suc¬ 
cess  at  Almacks’.  One  of  the  varieties  in 
this  dance  is  rather  amusing :  a  lady  selects 
two  companions  of  her  own  sex,  and  consults 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


85 


with  them  on  the  denomination  which  they 
may  choose  to  adopt ;  it  is  generally  animal, 
or  vegetable,  chat  and  chien,  or  chou  and  ca- 
rotte — none  ever  select  pomme  de  terre; — she 
leads  them  towards  a  gentleman,  and  asks 
him  to  name  the  object  of  his  preference^;  he 
then  dances  with  the  lady  whose  sobriquet 
he  has  preferred. 

In  this  manner,  I  saw  the  Imperial  consort 
of  the  Autocrat  of  all  the  Russias  fall  to  the 
lot  of  Prince  Albert  of  Prussia,  under  the 
unassuming  denomination  of  carotte.  The 
supper  was  served  for  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  persons,  with  great  regularity  and 
abundance.  The  very  essence  of  the  court 
was  present,  and  the  ladies  were  dressed 
with  as  much  taste  and  elegance  as  could  be 
seen  at  a  ball  at  the  Elysee  Bourbon;  but 
here  again  the  demon  Ennui,  in  the  disguise 
of  a  courtier,  covered  with  stars  and  ribands, 

had  eluded  the  vigilance  of  Lord  H - ’s 

porter,  and  I  am  sure  without  any  card  of 
invitation  from  his  Lordship,  who  did  every 
thing  that  a  hospitable  host  could  do  to  drive 
him  out  of  the  assembly,  skulked  about  the 
different  rooms,  cringing  and  bowing,  but 
evidently  determined  to  maintain  his  post, 
in  spite  of  every  effort  that  was  made  to  con- 


86 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


sign  him  to  the  door.  There  was  a  great 
display  of  beauty  among  the  women ;  those 
who  were  most  particularly,  admired  were 
the  Princesses  Ourousoff  and  Yousoupoff, 
Mesdames  ZavadofFsky,  PashkofF,  ZubofF, 
Witgenstein,  and  Narishkin;  Mesdemoiselles 
YatsofF  and  Rosette,  maids  of  honour  to  the 
Empress;  one  look  From  whom,  like  the  touch 
of  the  spear  of  Ithuriel,  had  such  a  powerful 
effect  on  the  monster,  that  I  observed  he  was 
very  cautious  in  approaching  them.  It  was 
altogether  a  brilliant  scene,  and,  to  use  the 
sky-rocket  expression  of  the  Morning  Post, 
went  off  with  considerable  eclat. 

The  Emperor  was  dressed  in  the  plain 
uniform  of  his  guards,  with  high  boots  and 
spurs.  He  constantly  walked  through  the 
different  rooms,  conversing  in  the  most  affa¬ 
ble  manner  with  the  company,  but  it  was 
impossible  not  to  observe  the  awe  which  his 
presence  seemed  to  create  in  his  own  sub¬ 
jects.  Notwithstanding  his  late  illness,  he 
still  seems  to  be  growing  fat,  which  even  his 
fine  tall  figure  could  not  conceal. 

The  Empress  is  very  apprehensive  of  cold, 
in  consequence  of  which  the  rooms  were  kept 
so  hot  that  it  became  oppressive,  particularly 
to  the  dancers.  She  was  beautifully  dressed 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


87 


in  a  rose-coloured  gown,  and  wore  a  magni¬ 
ficent  necklace  of  diamonds  and  precious 
stones,  which  seemed  attached  to  her  robe  at 
the  bosom,  and  descended  in  a  riviere  to  her 
feet. 

To-dny  the  Emperor  gives  a  grand  dinner 
to  all  the  superior  officers  who  have  been 
employed  in  the  late  campaign;  it  is  a  Wa¬ 
terloo  dinner  in  Russia,  to  commemorate  the 
passage  of  the  Balkan^  and  the  taking  of 
Adrianople. 

The  hevue  which,  I  am  told,  created  at 
first  some  coolness  in  Russian  society  to¬ 
wards  the  Due  de  Mortemart,  the  French 
ambassador,  was  of  so  ludicrous  a  nature, 
that  it  is  w'orth  relating.  A  mistake  of  his 
secretary,  in  sending  out  cards  of  invitation 
without  prefixing  the  proper  titles  of  the 
guests,  gave  in  the  first  instance  some  of¬ 
fence,  which  was  afterwards  to  be  repaired 
by  another  entertainment  more  carefully  an¬ 
nounced  in  proper  form.  The  object  pro¬ 
posed  was  a  little  French  comedy,  to  be  act¬ 
ed  by  the  members  of  the  ambassador’s  fami¬ 
ly,  on  a  theatre  fitted  up  for  the  occasion  in 
his  hotel.  The  Russians  are  very  partial  to 
the  French  stage,  and  a  Spectacle  de  Societe 
is  always  more  interesting  than  a  public  re- 


88 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


presentation ;  the  company,  therefore,  assem¬ 
bled  with  great  good-will,  and  harmony,  to 
all  appearance,  was  completely  re-established. 
By  one  of  those  unfortunate  coincidences 
which  are  impossible  to  be  foreseen,  and 
which  sometimes  will  furnish  an  unpleasant 
construction  to  the  most  innocent  intentions, 
the  comedy  of  ‘‘  L’Ours  et  le  Pacha  ’’  was 
selected  by  the  actors  for  this  occasion.  It 
is  a  favourite  little  piece  in  France,  and  must 
be  in  any  country,  where  bears  are  not  indi¬ 
genous,  and  where  the  climate  does  not  oblige 
the  lords  and  ladies  of  the  land  to  borrow 
their  costume,  whenever  they  venture  out  of 
their  houses.  Perhaps,  the  actual  war,  which 
was  then  going  on  with  Turkey,  might  have 
rendered  the  allusion  to  the  Pacha  still  more 
striking  also.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  scene 
opened,  and  the  principal  dramatis  personcB 
proved  to  be  two  enormous  bears :  this  was, 
indeed,  past  hearing ;  the  offence  was  not  to 
be  forgiven,  and  even  to  this  day  the  ambas¬ 
sador,  with  all  his  known  amahilite  and  high¬ 
bred  manners,  has  never  been  able  to  efface 
the  impression  of  this  unintentional  affront. 

I  remain  always. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


89 


LETTER  XXL 


Heterogeneous  mass  of  Legislation. — Contradictory  Statutes. — 
Curious  Trial. — A  ramble  in  the  neighbourhood  of  St,  Peters¬ 
burg. — Humble  equipage  of  the  Emperor. — His  Character.— 
Russian  Dinners. — Fish  abounding  in  the  Wolga. 

Petersburg,  28th  February,  1830. 

My  dear - , 

When  I  stated  to  you,  in  a  former  letter, 
that  the  code  of  laws  in  Russia  consisted  of  a 
series  of  Ukases,  issued  at  the  will  of  the  so- 
vereim,  on  the /most  trifling  occasions,  and 
frequently  of  Hhe  most  contradictory  nature, 
I  did  not  mention  that  their  number  had  be¬ 
come  almost  incalculable. 

A  ludicrous  instance  of  this  nature,  as  well 
as  the  not  less  ludicrous  manner  in  which  the 
Ukase  has  been  interpreted  by  the  Judges,  in 
VOL.  II. — 9 


90 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


pronouncing  their  sentence  has  lately  been 
extracted  from  the  judicial  proceedings  in 
that  country.  It  is  thus  stated. 

The  town  of  Kamienicts,  a  fortified  place^ 
formerly  the  harrier  of  Poland  against  Turk¬ 
ish  invasion,  hut  now  the  residence  of  the 
government  of  Podolia,  has  lately  been  the 
scene  of  considerable  agitation  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  a  singular  circumstance.  A  young 
Russian  officer,  of  handsome  person  and  no¬ 
ble  birth,  was  seen  one  morning  suddenly  to 
fall  or  leap  from  the  first  story  of  a  house 
into  the  street.  He  had  the  good  fortune  not 
to  sustain  any  injury  himself,  but  a  poor 
Wallachian  labourer,  who  was  passing  at 
the  time,  was  nearly  crushed  under  the 
weight  of  his  fall.  This  event  became  the 
subject  of  general  conversation,  but  there 
was  a  mystery  attached  to  it  which  none 
were  able  to  explain.  The  house  from  which 
the  officer  fell,  in  such  a  very  unaccountable 
manner,  was  situated  in  the  Karwassarg  su¬ 
burb,  and  belonged  to  a  rich  Armenian  mer¬ 
chant,  named  Christopher,  who,  a  few  months 
before,  had  married  a  young  Georgian  girl 
of  remarkable  beauty.  Every  one  was  lost 
in  conjectures,  when,  in  a  few  days  after¬ 
wards,  it  became  publicly  known  that  Chris- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


91 


tophor  had  applied  to  the  bishop  for  a  license 
of  separation  from  his  wife,  and  the  public 
curiosity  seemed  to  anticipate  a  full  explana¬ 
tion,  when  it  was  farther  announced  that  the 
Wallachian  Grodisco  had  cited  the  Russian 
officer^  Count  Balaban,  before  the  tribunals, 
to  obtain  damages  for  the  injury  he  had  sus¬ 
tained;  and,  moreover,  that  on  his  side  the 
Count  Balaban  had  cited  Christopher,  who, 
in  his  turn,  had  cited  his  own  wife,  also,  to 
appear  before  the  magistrates  of  the  place. 
This  complicated  suit  was  to  be  tried  before 
the  civil  court  of  Kamienicts;  the  principals 
and  witnesses  were  summoned  to  appear  be¬ 
fore  the  judges,  and  the  hall  of  audience  was 
crowded  with  spectators  of  all  ranks  and  con¬ 
ditions.  The  first  who  appeared  on  the  bench 
of  the  accused  was  a  young  woman,  of  exqui¬ 
site  beauty,  dressed  with  great  magnificence ; 
this  was  the  wife  of  the  Armenian  Christo¬ 
pher.  By  her  side  was  seated  her  husband, 
a  stout  muscular  man,  whose  scanty  gray 
locks  showed  symptoms  of  advancing  age, 
while  his  piercing  look,  alternately  fixed  on 
the  public  and  his  judges,  seemed  sedulously 
to  avoid  the  view  of  a  young  officer,  who 
stood  near  him,  carelessly  coaxing  his  black 
mustachios,  and  intent  on  exhibiting,  to  the 


92 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


greatest  advantage,  a  handsome  figure,  and 
elegant  uniform  which  was  decorated  with 
various  orders.  This  officer  was  the  Count 
Balaban,  A  few  paces  off  from  this  group 
appeared  a  little  dirty  old  man,  whose  coun¬ 
tenance,  pale  as  death,  was  barely  to  be  dis¬ 
tinguished  through  the  squalid  tresses  of  a 
long  beard,  which  flowed  down  to  his  waist. 
This  man,  dressed  in  the  ordinary  sheep¬ 
skin,  was  the  Wallachian  Grodisko,  scarcely 
recovered  from  the  bruises  which  he  had  re¬ 
ceived  from  his  late  accident.  A  profound 
silence  reigned  in  the  hall,  when  the  chief 
judge,  seated  between  his  two  assistant  ma¬ 
gistrates,  formally  announced,  by  ring  'of 
bell,  that  the  court  was  opdhed  in  the  name 
of  His  Imperial  Majesty;  and  the  secretary, 
by  his  order,  read  out  the  depositions,  which 
had  been  made  by  the  contending  parties. 
In  these  cases,  alone,  the  Imperial  Ukases 
permit  publicity  and  proceedings  in  open 
court. 

Before  us,  Ivan  Ivanovitch  Vicrovkine, 
Captain  Ispravnik,  of  the  district  of  Kamie- 
nicts,  and  Matwiej  Havrylovitch  Sobakine,, 
police  master  of  the  town  of  Kamienicts, 
have  declared  upon  oath,  as  follows,  the  un¬ 
dermentioned. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


93 

S.  Zahar  Grodisko,  aged  sixty-eight  years, 
Wallachian,  born  at  Kichonief,  residing  at 
Kamienicts,  inscribed  in  the  registers  of  that 
town  as  basket-maker  by  profession. 

On  the  5th  January  I  was  going  to  the 
banks  pf  the  Smotrytch,  in  order  to  get  some 
branches  of  willow,  which  I  wanted  to  com¬ 
plete  a  kitchen-basket,  for  the  nse  of  the  Car¬ 
melite  fathers.  I  passed  throngh  the  suburb 
of  Karwassarg,  with  the  tears  in  my  eyes, 
not  from  grief,  hut  from  the  excessive  cold ; 
at  every  step  I  was  obliged  to  feel  if  my  nose 
was  frozen ;  the  snow  crackled  under  my  feet, 
when  suddenly  some  heavy  substance  fell 
upon  my  head,  and  I  was  thrown  to  the 
ground.  In  the  first  moment  of  my  alarm  I 
gave  a  loud  shriek,  for  I  thought  it  was  one 
of  the  fallen  angels  whom  God  was  despatch¬ 
ing  to  the  infernal  regions,  who  had  tumbled 
on  my  head.  At  this  moment  I  perceived  a 
man,  whose  shirt  and  pantaloons,  his  only 
covering,  were  torn,  and  who  took  to  flight 
with  the  utmost  rapidity.  He  was  soon  ar¬ 
rested  by  the  passers-by,  but  shortly  after¬ 
wards  released.  Some  one  then  came  up  to 
me,  raised  me  from  the  ground  and  said, 
‘‘Be  of  good  cheer;  the  Count  will  recom¬ 
pense  you.'’  I  was  carried  to  my  hut,  where 
9^ 


94 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


I  lay  at  the  point  of  death,  without  any  as¬ 
sistance  ;  as  a  little  girl,  my  only  remaining 
child,  did  nothing  but  cry  and  sob.  I  heard 
no  more  of  the  Count  than  of  the  man  in  the 
moon.  Mr.  Shovrognski,  the  lawyer,  that 
excellent  man,  procured  me  a  physician,  paid 
me  every  attention,  and  has  taken  charge  of 
my  complaint.” 

The  Count  Platon  Alexievitch  Balaban, 
captain  in  the  regiment  of  hussars  of  Isioum, 
aged  twenty-five  years,  born  at  Moscow. 

“  I  lodged  in  the  house  of  Christophor,  the 
merchant;  wishing  to  employ  my  leisure 
time,  I  proposed  to  give  lessons  in  French 
and  music  to  my  hosts.  The  husband  is  a 
man  absorbed  in  his  business ;  he  refused  my 
offer,  but  consented  that  I  should  give  some 
instructions  in  French  to  his  wife.  One 
morning  early,  I  was  occupied  as  usual  in 
teaching  the  lady,  when  the  man  rudely 
burst  into  the  room,  and,  either  excited  by 
wine,  or  seized  with  some  incomprehensible 
fit  of  rage,  he  picked  a  quarrel  with  me,  beat 
his  wife,  stripped  my  coat  off  my  back,  and 
then  threw  me  out  of  window,  as  if  I  had 
been  a  dog,  or  a  cat,  or  a  piece  of  lumber.  I 
had  the  misfortiine  to  fall  upon  a  man,  whom 
I  had  never  seen  before,  and  have  never  seen 
since.  This  is  all  I  know  of  the  matter.” 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


95 


Nicholas  Christophor,  aged  fifty-eight 
years,  born  at  Erivan,  in  Asia,  residing  for 
the  last  ten  years  at  Kamienicts,  licensed 
merchant  of  the  first  guild,  trading  in  the 
commerce  of  Cachemires  and  jewellery  with 
the  E^st. 

It  is  four  years  ago  that  I  bought  a 
Georgian  slave,  aged  thirteen  years ;  I  gave 
her  an  excellent  education,  treated  her  like 
a  father,  and,  to  complete  my  generosity, 
married  her  last  year,  in  despite  of  the  pro¬ 
verb,  which  says,  that  if  a  man  has  no  sense 
at  twenty,  is  not  married  at  thirty,  and  has 
not  made  his  fortune  at  forty,  he  is  a  fool  for 
the  rest  of  his  life.  Every  thing,  however, 
went  on  prosperously  in  my  home ;  I  placed 
entire  confidence  in  my  wife’s  conduct,  and 
although  the  saying  is,  that  if  you  find  the 
head  of  a  dead  horse,  or  of  a  dead  woman,  be 
sure  to  put  on  the  bridle,  as  both  are  animals 
likely  to  be  restive  even  after  death,  I  ne¬ 
glected  the  popular  admonition,  and  I  did 
wrong.  When  the  regiment  of  Izioum  ar¬ 
rived  in  our  town,  I  received  as  a  lodger  the 
Captain  Count  Balaban :  I  allow  that  he  con¬ 
ducted  himself  with  great  civility,  which  is 
seldom  the  case  with  officers ;  but  he  persist¬ 
ed  in  ogling  my  wife,  and  every  look  which 


96 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


he  gave  her  was  a  poniard  in  my  heart.  She 
also  seemed  to  encourage  privately  his  ad¬ 
dresses.  Unfortunately,  I  could  not  always 
remain  at  home,  as  my  business  required  oc¬ 
casional  absences.  In  such  cases  I  forbade 
my  wife  to  receive  him,  as  no  one  will  be¬ 
lieve  that  I  could  be  simple  enough  to  per¬ 
mit,  as  he  Eisserts,  that  he  should  give  les¬ 
sons  to  my  wife.  She  is  a  good  musician  al¬ 
ready,  and  speaks  French  fluently,  owing  to 
the  liberal  education  which  I  gave  her.  I 
had .  thus  refused  the  obliging  offers  of  the 
Count,  and  enjoined  my  wife  to  avoid  him, 
but  since  our  Mother  Eve,  prohibition  is  only 
an  incitement  to  do  wrong.  They  saw  each 
other  constantly ;  the  public  laughed  at  me, 
the  servants  gave  dark  hints  of  what  was  go¬ 
ing  on.  At  last  I  determined  to  convince 
myself  of  the  truth  with  my  own  eyes.  I 
feigned  a  journey  for  some  days,  and  set  off 
in  the  evening ;  but  early  in  the  morning  I 
returned,  and  forced  my  way  to  my  wife’s 
room,  where  I  found  the  Count.  She  became 
speechless  from  fear  ;  I  was  overcome  with  a 
sudden  fit  of  passion,  and  seizing  the  officer 
with  both  arms,  I  threw  him  out  of  the  win¬ 
dow.  As  for  my  wife,  she  confessed  her 
guilt,  and  I  have  not  hurt  a  hair  of  her  head. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


97 


I  went  to  the  bishop  and  explained  the  whole 
affair.  His  reply  was,  ^  A  divorce  is  impos¬ 
sible,  but  repentance  may  wipe  away  the 
crime :  send  me  your  wife.’  I  solemnly  pro¬ 
tested  that  nothing  could  induce  me  to  live 
with  her  again,  but  I  cannot  turn  her  out  of 
doors,  &s  she  has  neither  friends  nor  relations 
in  the  world-’’ 

Marianne  Zulma,  wife  of  Christophor,  aged 
seventeen,  born  in  Georgia.  “  I  know  no¬ 
thing  of  this  business ;  I  was  asleep  when  my 
husband  entered  into  my  room,  and  was 
awakened  by  the  noise  of  his  throwing  the 
Count  out  of  window;  my  husband  sent  me 
to  the  bishop,  who  ordered  me  to  say  my 
prayers,  to  confess  myself,  and  to  fast.  I  am 
called  guilty  and  criminal;  but  I  know  not 
why,  as  I  am  innocent.” 

A  servant  maid  of  Madame  Christophor. 

I  am  the  only  guilty  person,  but  guilty 
solely  of  imprudence.  I  knew  that  the 
Count  was  in  love  with  my  mistress,  but  I 
had  always  refused  to  assist  his  views,  or  fa¬ 
cilitate  an  interview,  being  well  convinced  of 
her  virtue,  and  certain  that  I  should  only  in¬ 
cur  her  anger.  One  evening  the  Count  came 
to  inform  me,  that  his  regiment  was  about 
to  depart,  and  he  must  follow  it;  that  he 


98 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


should  die  of  despair,  if  he  could  not  contrive 
to  obtain  her  picture.  ‘  How  can  that  be 
done?^  said  I;  'my  mistress  will  never  con¬ 
sent  to  give  it  you.’  'Oh!’  replied  he,  'I 
know  of  a  way  to  procure  it  without  her  know¬ 
ledge.  I  am  a  good  proficient  in  drawing : 
show  me  into  her  room,  and,  while  she  sleeps, 
I  will  take  a  hasty  sketch  of  her  lovely  fea¬ 
tures.’  I  refused  for  a  long  time,  hut  his 
entreaties  were  so  earnest,  that,  fearing  to 
drive  him  to  despair,  and  seeing  no  real  im¬ 
propriety  in  his  request,  I  at  last  consented. 
One  night  I  softly  opened  the  door  of  her 
room  while  my  mistress  was  fast  asleep;  hut, 
before  he  could  begin  his  sketch  by  the  faint 
light  of  a  lamp,  my  master  entered  in  a  vio¬ 
lent  rage,  and  seized  the  Count.” 

Here  Christophor  observed,  that  the  maid 
was  evidently  bribed  by  his  wife  and  her  ac¬ 
complice. 

An  old  servant  of  Christophor. 

"  It  is  as  true  as  the  day  is  light,  and  the 
night  is  dark,  that  the  Count  entered  the 
house  as  soon  as  my  master  quitted  it.” 

Other  witnesses  left  no  doubt  of  the  guilt 
of  the  parties. 

After  these  depositions  had  been  read, 
the  counsels  for  the  defence,  Shovrognsky, 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


99 


Grondzignsky,  and  Plognsky,  each,  in  their 
turn,  spoke  in  favour  of  Grodisko,  Christo- 
phor,  and  Count  Balaban. 

When  the  pleadings  were  terminated,  the 
judge  rang  his  bell  three  times,  and  the  sol¬ 
diers  cleared  the  court,  that  the  deliberations 
might  commence.  The  solution  of  the  aifair 
was  very  difficult,  and  the  professional  men 
themselves  w^ere  embarrassed  as  to  the  ver¬ 
dict.  It  appeared  clear  that  the  poor  la¬ 
bourer  Grodisko  had  been  nearly  crushed  by 
the  Count,  and  was  entitled  to  damages.  But 
from  whom?  It  appeared  hard  to  make  the 
officer  responsible  for  the  consequences  of  an 
aerial  flight,  which  he  had  undertaken  much 
against  his  inclination.  It  was  the  husband 
who  had  thrown  the  officer  out  of  window, 
and,  under  the  actual  circumstances,  he 
seemed  to  be  justified  in  what  he  had  done; 
nevertheless,  as  he  founded  his  excuse  on  the 
infidelity  of  his  wife,  it  must  come  under  the 
head  of  the  marriage  act,  and  could  only  be 
judged  in  the  Ecclesiastical  courts.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  civil  tribunal  was  loath  to 
consider  the  action  of  the  husband  in  a  cri¬ 
minal  point  of  view.  At  last  the  doors  were 
opened,  and  the  secretary  put  an  end  to  all 


100 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


doubts  and  conjectures  by  reading  the  fol¬ 
lowing  sentence 

We,  Charles  Durowski,  Judge  of  the  dis¬ 
trict  of  Kamienicts;  Etienne  Starjygnski, 
sub-magistrate;  Barthelemi,  Michalski,  sub¬ 
magistrate;  and  Antoine  Hvzyjunowski,  no¬ 
tary  of  the  said  district,  have  unanimously 
decreed  as  follows : — 

Inasmuch  as  marriage  is  a  religious  sacra¬ 
ment  consecrated  by  the  church,  every  dif¬ 
ference  arising  between  man  and  wife  must 
be  referred  to  the  Ecclesiastical  Court: 

Inasmuch  as  the  Ukase  of  H.  I.  M.  Paul 
the  First,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1799,  en¬ 
acts  that  every  man  has  a  right  to  throw  out 
of  the  window  of  his  house  into  the  street, 
any  useless  piece  of  furniture  which  he  shall 
find  in  the  said  house,  provided  always  that 
he  take  care  to  cry  out  three  times  to^  the 
passers  below,  '  Take  heed,  take  heed,  take 
heed !’  in  default  of  which,  he  is  to  be  mulcted 
in  a  fine  of  twenty-five  roubles,  and  be  held 
answerable  for  all  the  mischief  he  may  oc¬ 
casion  by  such  neglect :  ^ 

‘‘  Inasmuch  as  the  Count  Platon  Alexie- 
witch  Balaban  was  doubtless,  in  the  opinion 
of  Nicholas  Christopher,  a  very  useless  piece 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


101 


of  furniture  in  liis  house,  which  he  was  au¬ 
thorized  by  the  law  to  throw  out  of  window, 
but  always  on  the  condition  of  crying  out 
three  times,  ‘  Take  heed.’ 

Inasmuch  as  Nicholas  Christopher  nei¬ 
ther  cried  out  thrice,  nor  twice,  nor  even 
once,  and  has,  therefore,  acted  contrary  to 
the  express  injunction  of  the  ukase,  we  con¬ 
demn  Nicholas  Christopher  to  pay  the  said 
fine  of  twenty-five  roubles  to  the  state ;  and 
moreover  to  pay  two  thousand  roubles  da¬ 
mages  to  Zahor  Grodisko ;  as  also  two  thou¬ 
sand  roubles  for  the  expenses  of  his  cure,  and 
of  his  law-suit ;  and,  farther,  the  whole  costs 
of  the  proceedings  each  of  which  sums  to 
be  acquitted  within  seven  days  from  this 
time.  We  entirely  acquit  the  Count  Platon 
Alexie witch  Balaban  from  the  charge,  con¬ 
sidering  him  only  in  the  light  of  a  useless 
piece  of  furniture  in  the  house  of  Nicholas 
Christopher.  We  also  acquit  Maria  Zulma, 
wife  of  the  said  Christopher,  and  we  leave  to 
Nicholas  Christopher  full  permission  to  pro¬ 
secute  his  suit  against  his  spouse  before  the 
Ecclesiastical  Court.” 

When  this  sentence  was,  agreeably  with 
the  law,  submitted  to  the  approbation  of  the 
Emperor,  His  Imperial  Majesty  laughed 

VOL.  II. — 10 


102 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


heartily  at  the  mode  in  which  the  judge  had 
solved  the  difficulty. 

The  Russian  empire  is  composed  of  so 
many  different  nations,  which  have  all  their 
own  prescriptive  laws  and  rights,  that  even  so 
far  back  as  the  reign  of  the  Empress  Cathe¬ 
rine,  the  collection  of  Ukases  then  amounted 
to  seventy  thousand;  and  when  we  consider 
the  states,  which  have  since  been  incorpora¬ 
ted  with  it,  during  the  three  following  reigns, 
this  heterogeneous  mass  of  legislation  must 
be  nearly  doubled.  When,  in  addition  to 
this  circumstance,  we  consider  also  the  total 
absence  of  an  experienced  legal  profession,  to 
explain  these  contradictory  statutes,  it  is  al¬ 
most  a  wonder  that  the  judges,  who  are  as¬ 
sisted  by  no  jury,  as  in  most  countries,  can, 
with  the  best  intentions,  make  up  their  minds 
to  pronounce  a  sentence  which  may  be  strict¬ 
ly  legal.  This  is  always  in  the  supposition 
that  no  bribe  has  been  administered,  as,  in 
that  case,  precedents  may  always  be  found 
in  the  law  itself  to  justify,  or  rather  legalize, 
the  most  unfair  and  partial  decisions. 

Any  day  when  the  weather  is  moderate, 
that  is,  when  there  is  no  imminent  danger  of 
losing  your  nose,  and  the  cold  is  only  ten  de¬ 
grees  more  severe  than  an  English  winter,  I 
wrap  myself  up  in  the  eternal  bearskin,  and 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


103 


take  what  is  called  brisk  exercise  about  the 
streets  of  Petersburg.  Quitting  the  Perspec¬ 
tive,  which  on  such  occasions  is  tolerably  peo¬ 
pled  with  visiters,  I  ramble  into  the  adjacent 
parts,  and  soon  find  myself  in  the  solitude  of 
a  des^'t.  Here  and  there  a  mougik  in  a  sheep¬ 
skin  crosses  my  path,  or  a  solitary  sledge 
glides  by  on  the  beaten  snow,  conveying  an 
officer  to  the  barracks;  just,  in  fact,  sufficient 
movement  to  prove  that  I  am  not  in  the  city 
of  the  dead. 

The  fine  hotels  which  abound  in  all  direc¬ 
tions  are  generally  shut  up,  as  the  noble  pro¬ 
prietors  are  the  very  reverse  of  the  owners  of 
the  Castle  of  Otranto,  and  are  become  too  small 
to  inhabit  them.  Many  of  them  are  on  sale, 
but  where  are  purchasers  to  be  found  except 
in  the  government,  which  has  already  got 
possession  of  the  estates?  Thus  you  see  the 
different  public  establishments  of  the  empire 
now  occupy  houses,  formerly  belonging  to 
the  nobility,  which  sometimes  perhaps  ca¬ 
price,  but  more  frequently  necessity,  has  in¬ 
duced  them  to  sell.  The  Enfans  trouves  are 
in  the  Hotel  Razoumoufsky ;  the  Lombard 
Institution  in  that  of  Bobrinsky;  the  Milita¬ 
ry  Orphans  in  that  of  Tschernicheff;  the  Im¬ 
perial  Cabinet  in  that  of  Anitchkoff;  the 
Corps  of  Pages  in  that  of  Woronzoff;  and  the 


104 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


General  Direction  of  Roads  in  that  of  Yon- 
soupotf,  &c. ;  all  splendid  buildings,  -which 
formerly  were  the  scenes  of  private  magnifi¬ 
cence  and  ostentation,  but  now  are  absorbed 
into  that  great  abyss  of  wealth  and  power 
which  surrounds  the  throne. 

On  my  return  from  one  of  these  walks, 
through  a  street  which  seemed  quite  unin¬ 
habited,  I  saw  quickly  advancing  a  simple 
sledge  with  one  horse,  and  a  bearded  coach- ^ 
man  as  usual,  in  which  was  seated  an  offi¬ 
cer,  wrapped  up  in  the  common  gray  cloak 
of  the  guards,  who  seemed  to  be  hurrying 
towards  his  parade,  as  if  apprehensive  of  be¬ 
ing  too  late.  We  soon  met,  and  I  then  at 
once  saw  that  it  was  the  Emperor.  At  the 
moment  when  I  had  been  reflecting  with 
wonder  on  his  immense  wealth,  and  power, 
and  possessions,  I  beheld  the  owner  himself 
not  only  unattended  by  guards,  but  without 
a  single  servant  in  his  train,  driving  through 
the  streets  of  his  capital,  with  as  much  un¬ 
pretending  ease  and  simplicity  as  an  ensign 
in  his  own  regiment  of  guards.  I  know  not 
how  other  people  may  feel  on  the  occasion, 
but  the  Emperor  Nicholas  in  his  humble 
equipage  was  a  greater  object  of  interest  to 
me,  as  a  stranger,  than  if  I  had  met  him  in  a 
coach  and  eight  horses,  surrounded  by  a  re¬ 
giment  of  cuirassiers. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR.. 


105 


I  wish  I  could  do  justice  to  the  character  of 
this  Emperor,  because  he  is  so  little  known 
in  England.  I  cannot  of  course  speak  from 
my  own  knowledge,  hut  I  have  the  best  op¬ 
portunity  of  hearing  it  daily  discussed  by 
those  ^ho  are  competent  judges,  who  are 
themselves  by  their  position  here  completely 
independent  of  his  authority,  and  all  speak 
most  highly  of  his  talents  in  public,  and  his= 
virtues  in  private  life.  I  can  imagine  that 
many  Russians  may  be  well  aware  of  tho 
vicious  construction  of  this  mighty  fabric,, 
may  see  it  with  regret  themselves,  and  may 
from  a  proper  national  feeling  be  anxious  to 
conceal  it  from  the  observation  of  Europe,  in 
which  they  have  been  partially  successful., 
But  if  in  the  general  interdiction  of  political 
remarks  from  hence,  the  qualities  of  the  Em¬ 
peror  Nicholas  are  also  to  be  kept  in  the 
shade,  it  is  a  positive  injustice  to  him,  and  a 
loss  to  the  country  also. 

I  have  never  yet  mentioned  the  living  irt 
Russia.  If  I  were  only  to  judge  by  my 
hotel,  it  would  not  deserve  much  commenda¬ 
tion,  as  the  cookery  is  bad,  and  the  frozen, 
meat  which  is  used  in  those  establishments: 
is  very  tasteless;  but  at  the  great  dinners  in 
private  houses,  which  are  always  preceded 
by  a  little  service  of  caviar  and  salted  her- 
10^ 


106 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


rings,  with  a  glass  of  Schnaps,  you  meet 
with  every  luxury.  The  suppers,  after  the 
balls,  are  even  more  abundant  than  the  din¬ 
ners,  and  served  in  regular  courses,  with 
soups,  hot  entrees,  and  a  splendid  dessert  in 
conclusion.  Here  I  have  tasted  the  cele¬ 
brated  Sterlits  brought  from  the  Wolga, 
which  is  a  delicacy  unknown  to  European 
epicures.  The  immense  quantity  of  fish  in 
which  that  river  abounds  would  almost  ap¬ 
pear  fabulous.  The  Emperor  Paul,  whose 
friendships,  as  well  as  his  hatreds,  were  al¬ 
ways  carried  to  excess,  gave  to  the  two 
Princes  Kourakin  the  right  of  fishery  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Wolga.  This  privilege  is 
farmed  by  a  Russian  merchant,  named  Sa- 
pojnikolf,  at  the  enormous  annual  rent  of 
900,000  Rs..,  who  has  thereby  realized  for 
himself  an  immense  fortune.  Sturgeons  are 
caught  there  weighing  two  thousand  four 
hundred  pounds;  and  the  salmon,  carp,  trout, 
&c.,  are  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  ordinary 
size  of  fish  in  Europe. 


Yours  ever. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


107 


r 

LETTER  XXIL 


Murders  committed  with  impunity. — Instance  of  presence  of 
Mind. — A  Masquerade. — Tzarskoe  Zeloe. — Alexander  in  his 
Retreat. 

Petersburg,  1st  March,  1830. 

My  dear - , 

The  other  night  in  society  the  conver¬ 
sation  turned  on  murders,  which  are  not  un¬ 
frequent  among  the  lower  orders  here,  though 
seldom  mentioned,  as  the  very  limited  public 
press  never  takes  any  cognizance  of  such 
events.  Pouschkin,  the  poet,  said  with  much 
gravity,  Le  plus  interessant  assassin,  que 
j’ai  jamais  connu,  etoit  un  domestique,  que 
j’avois  il  y  a  quelque  terns.”  It  appears  that 
this  man  had  committed  eight  murders  with 
impunity,  the  ninth  was  detected,  and  his 
confession  was  to  the  following  effect : — 

He  had  hired  a  sledge  at  Tzarskoe  Zeloe 


108 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


for  a  course,  which  was  to  cost  him  fifty  co¬ 
pecks.  During  the  drive,  he  began  to  reflect 
that  if  he  killed  the  Ishvosknick  (or  coach¬ 
man,)  he  should  certainly  save  the  fare,  and 
perhaps  find  some  money  in  his  pocket.  He, 
therefore,  very  quietly  took  .out  his  knife, 
stabbed  him  in  the  back,  and  then  cut  his 
throat.  On  rifling  the  wretched  driver,  he 
found  only  twenty-four  copecks;  he,  there¬ 
fore,  murdered  a  fellow-creature  on  calcula¬ 
tion  for  the  sum  of  about  eightpence  sterling. 

A  horrid  instance  of  the  same  kind  oc¬ 
curred  here  only  two  nights  ago.  A  mougik 
hired  a  sledge  to  cross  the  Neva,  when  it 
was  very  dark,  and  he  knew  he  must  escape 
observation.  As  soon  as  they  had  reached 
the  middle  of  the  river,  he  murdered  the 
driver  on  his  seat,  and,  leaving  the  body  on 
the  ice,  conducted  the  horse  and  sledge  to  his 
own  home.  The  latter  he  broke  up,  and 
converted  immediately  into  firewmod :  the  for¬ 
mer  he  had  the  folly  to  lead  the  next  morn¬ 
ing  to  the  market  for  sale.  In  the  mean 
time  the  corpse  had  been  discovered  by  the 
police,  and  the  horse  was  recognised  by  th^ 
neighbours,  w^hich  led  to  the  immediate  de¬ 
tection  of  the  murderer.  He  was  instantly 
arrested,  and  so  summary  was  the  judgment, 
that  in  the  short  space  of  twenty-four  hours 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


109 


the  crime  was  committed,  detected,  and  jus¬ 
tice  executed.  The  sentence  was  severe 
knouting,  (almost  equal  to  death,)  and  per¬ 
petual  labour  in  the  mines  of  Siberia. 

In  virtue  of  a  ukase,  issued  by  the  Em¬ 
press  Elizabeth,  no  crime  in  this  country  is 
punishable  by  death;  but  the  Emperor,  who 
is  all  powerful,  may  sign  a  ukase  to  that  ef¬ 
fect  for  any  particular  case  of  delinquency, 
(as  he  did  in  the  case  of  the  conspirators,) 
but  it  is  not  the  regular  law  of  the  land. 

Some  little  time  back  a  gentleman  was 
saved  from  a  similar  fate  by  a  presence  of 
mind  which  would  not  have  occurred  to 
every  one.  He  was  also  crossing  the  river 
at  night  in  a  sledge,  and,  having  dined  with 
some  convivial  friends,  had  begun  to  slum¬ 
ber.  He  suddenly  awoke,  and  found  himself 
on  the  ice,  mastered  by  the  driver,  who  was 
endeavouring  to  strangle  him.  All  hope  of 
assistance  in  such  a  deserted  spot  was  vain, 
and  death  seemed  inevitable ;  but  his  super¬ 
stitious  assassin  still  insisted  on  his  crossing 
himself  before  he  died.  He  made  use  of  this 
respite,  to  beg  the  farther  indulgence  of 
taking  one  last  pinch  of  snuff,  which  was 
granted.  The  snuff-box  once  in  his  hand, 
he  threw  the  whole  contents  into  the  face 
and  eyes  of  his  assailant,  which  so  completely 


110 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


blinded  him,  that  the  victim  was  enabled  to 
make  his  escape. 

It  was  unfortunately  too  dark  to  distin¬ 
guish  the  number  which  these  drivers  are 
ordered  to  wear  on  a  metal  plate  attached  to 
their  back,  and  the  villain  thus  avoided  far¬ 
ther  detection.  These  circumstances  tend 
to  prove,  what  I  have  before  remarked,  that 
the  life  of  a  human  being  here  is  considered 
of  very  little  importance. 

A  very  handsome  suite  of  rooms  has  just 
been  fitted  up  in  the  Perspective  by  Mr.  En- 
gelhart,  on  a  speculation  similar  to  that  of 
our  Argyll  Rooms,  for  public  entertainments. 
No  expense  has  been  spared  to  fit  them  for 
this  object,  but  the  habits  of  the  country  are 
so  little  calculated  for  such  meetings,  that  it 
is  not  supposed  it  will  be  very  beneficial  to 
the  projector.  A  masquerade  was  given  there 
on  the  25th  ultimo,  which,  on  account  of  the 
novelty,  was  fully  attended.  A  splendid  box 
was  prepared  for  the  Imperial  family,  in 
which  appeared  the  Empress  with  her  suite 
and  demoiselles  d’honneur,  amongst  whom 
Mesdemoiselles  Yatsotf  and  Ourousoff  were 
very  much  admired.  The  Emperor,  during 
the  whole  night,  walked  about  alone,  to  re¬ 
ceive  the  homage  of  his  court :  once  or  twice 
he  conducted  the  Empress  through  the 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


Ill 


crowd,  who  again  retired  to  her  box.  If  a 
masquerade  is  seldom  productive  of  much 
gaiety  in  other  countries,  what  must  it  be  in 
inanimate  Russia?  The  proportion  of  men 
to  women  was  about  twenty-live  to  one.  The 
former  .unmasked,  and  (except  the  few  fo¬ 
reigners)  all  in  uniform,  which  on  no  pretext 
can  ever  be  laid  aside,  and  a  short  crape  do¬ 
mino  thrown  over  the  shoulder.  The  latter 
were  masked  and 'silent.  The  daemon  wore 
no  mask,  he  seemed  quite  at  home,  and  gifted 
with  ubiquity.  The  most  prominent  mask 
in  the  room  was  a  woman  dressed  with  much 
taste,  who  excited  a  general  interest  by  her 
apparent  bashfulness  and  timidity.  She  was 
young  and  handsome,  as  far  as  her  features 
could  be  distinguished;  but  when  she  sat 
down  to  supper,  ten  successive  glasses  of 
Champagne  betrayed  the  secret,  and  the  inte¬ 
resting  maid  proved  to  be  a  man.  The  very 
disproportionate  number  of  men  compared  to 
the  women  at  this  assembly,  rendered  the 
denouement  more  remarkable,  as  every  one 
was  intent  on  observing  the  unknown  fair, 
who  had  created  a  great  sensation. 

Though  the  winter  is  not  favourable  to  a 
country  excursion,  I  thought  it  necessary  to 
take  a  cursory  view  of  Tzarskoe  Zeloe,  which 
is  about  twenty  wersts  from  St.  Petersburg, 


112 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


and  is  the  favourite  summer  residence  of  the 
Emperor.  It  was  originally  built  by  the  Em¬ 
press  Catherine  the  First,  spouse  of  Peter  the 
Great,  on  a  small  scale ;  but  its  present  mag¬ 
nificence  dates  from  the  Empress  Elizabeth, 
who  carried  her  extravagance  so  far  as  to  gild 
the  roofs,  cornices,  and  external  bas-reliefs  of 
this  palace. 

The  severity  of  the  seasons,  which  can  be 
regulated  by  no  Ukase,  produced  every  year 
incessant  dilapidations  in  this  costly  decora¬ 
tion,  and  the  repairs  became  so  expensive, 
that  a  yellow  varnish  has  since  been  substi¬ 
tuted  for  the  metal,  and  the  roof  has  been 
painted  a  light  green,  which  has  a  very  good, 
though  less  dazzling,  effect.  This  alteration 
was  made  by  Catherine,  whose  lofty  views 
found  other  employment  for  her  wealth  than 
exposing  it  to  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  ele¬ 
ments.  That  princess  was  very  much  at¬ 
tached  to  this  residence,  and  contributed 
much  to  its  embellishment:  the  Emperor 
Paul  alone,  animated  by  that  hatred  which 
he  bore  to  every  thing  that  reminded  him  of 
his  mother,  could  never  be  induced  to  inha¬ 
bit  it.  The  park  and  gardens  are  laid  out 
with  considerable  taste,  but  a  thick  coat  of 
snow,  which  clothed  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  was  not  calculated  to  show  them  off 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


113 


to  advantage.  The  house  is  of  no  particular 
order,  but  the  facade  altogether  is  magnifi¬ 
cent,  and  has  the  air  of  a  royal  residence; 
near  it  is  a  Chinese  village,  composed  of  fif¬ 
teen  small  houses,  Avhich  are  occupied,  when 
the  court  is  here,  by  the  generals  and  aide-de¬ 
camps  of  the  Emperor’s  staff.  As  to  the  in¬ 
terior  of  this  palace,  I  have  already  described 
so  many,  that  I  will  not  subject  you  to  that 
which  must  be  only  repetition.  At  one  end 
is  placed  a  noble  gallery,  in  which  the  busts 
and  statues  of  both  ancients  and  moderns, 
gods  and  mortals,  are  blended  together  in  a 
most  amusing  confusion.  A  Venus  de  Me- 
dicis  is  placed  between  Solon  and  Lycurgus, 
like  Susannah  between  the  two  elders ;  Louis 
Quatorze,  in  marble,  is  ogling  a  Medusa,  in 
bronze ;  while  our  countryman,  Charles  Fox, 
with  Lucullus  on  one  side,  and  Cicero  on  the 
other,  knits  his  bushy  eyebrows,  and  seems 
undecided  whether  he  would  dine  with  the 
one,  or  debate  with  the  other. 

Alexander  was  passionately  fond  of  this 
enchanting  spot;  here  was  the  scene  of  his 
youthful  pleasures,  endeared  by  the  recollec¬ 
tion  of  a  grandmother,  who  adored  him,  and 
whose  memory  he  revered.  During  the  first 
happy  years  of  his  reign,  this  was  the  fa¬ 
vourite  retreat  in  summer  from  the  cares  of 

VOL.  ii. — 11 


114 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


business  and  turmoils  of  state ;  when,  at  a 
later  period,  grief  and  disappointment  had 
broken  his  spirit,  and  the  ingratitude  of  his 
own  subjects  had  disgusted  him  with  human 
nature,  here  he.  came  to  ponder  in  solitude 
on  good  intentions  frustrated  and  dark  con¬ 
spiracies  formed  against  his  life.  He  gradu¬ 
ally  abandoned  all  those  amusements  which 
formerly  he  was  the  foremost  to  encourage ; 
the  theatrical  representations  at  the  Her¬ 
mitage  were  entirely  given  up;  the  private 
houses,  he  sometimes  deigned  to  visit,  were 
studiously  avoided;  the  meetings  with  the 
foreign  ambassadors,  except  for  particular 
audiences,  were  limited  to  three  or  four  times 
in  the  year;  in  the  midst  of  this  great  capi¬ 
tal,  and  surrounded  by  a  numerous  court,  he 
became  at  last  almost  invisible  to  every  one, 
except  his  own  family.  Glad  to  escape  from 
all  interruption,  he  would,  even  in  the  most 
rigorous  season  of  the  year,  privately  quit 
St.  Petersburg,  and  retire  for  a  few  days  to 
Tzarskoe  Zeloe,  accompanied  only  by  a  sin¬ 
gle  aide-de-camp,  who  happened  to  be  on 
duty  at  the  time.  There  he  would  remain 
invisible  even  to  that  officer,  who  only  caught 
a  glimpse  of  him  occasionally  as  he  passed 
through  the  apartments  on  his  way  to  the 
gardens,  where  he  was  accustomed  to  stroll 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


115 


about  pensive  and  alone.  Under  the  same 
melancholy  impressions,  he  would  plan  and 
execute  journeys  of  fifteen  hundred  leagues 
to  the  extreme  points  of  his  empire,  hoping, 
perhaps,  that  change  of  scene,  and  varied 
employment,  might  give  some  relief  to  his 
disordered  imagination,  or  at  least  baffle  the 
views  of  his  enemies.  One  last  journey  was 
made  from  which  he  never  returned. 

I  am  sorry  to  hear  such  bad  accounts  from 
France:  a  person  from  Bordeaux  told  me 
yesterday,  that  a  very  discontented  spirit 
exists  in  the  provinces  against  the  govern¬ 
ment,  and  that,  in  many  instances,  they  have 
refused  to  pay  the  regular  taxes. 

Yours  ever.  , 


116 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


LETTER  XXIIL 


The  Imperial  Stables. — Carriages  for  the  Imperial  Family. — Hou¬ 
sings,  Saddles,  &.c. — Hazard-table. — Another  Masquerade. — 
Heroine  of  the  Night. — Awe  of  the  Emperor. — His  despotic 
power. — Exorbitant  taxation  of  foreign  manufactures. — Impro¬ 
bability  of  any  attempt  by  Russia  on  our  Indian  Possessions. 

Petersburg,  4th  March,  1830. 

My  dear  — — , 

I  WAS  indebted  to  the  politeness  of  Prince 
Dolgorucki  yesterday,  for  a  view  of  the  Im¬ 
perial  stables,  which  are  built  at  the  junction 
of  the  Moika  and  the  Gather ina  canal,  and  are 
calculated  to  contain  fifteen  hundred  horses. 
,  The  Prince,  whose  situation  answers  to  that 
of  our  Master  of  the  Horse,  has  introduced 
great  order  and  neatness  in  this  department, 
but  it  did  not  strike  me  as  correspondent  with 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


117 


the  magnificence  of  the  Emperor’s  establish¬ 
ment  in  other  respects.  There  are  number¬ 
less  horses  of  various  descriptions,  but  very 
few  of  superior  value,  though  the  building 
itself  is  worthy  of  remark. 

The  carriages,  both  for  the  Imperial  fami¬ 
ly  and  /the  courts  are  much  inferior  to  those 
of  any  private  gentleman  in  England,  and 
there  seems  to  be  a  general  indifference  to 
the  luxury  of  equipage  in  the  country.  The 
most  curious  objects,  which  I  saw,  w^ere  the 
old  gilt  state-carriages,  which  have  been  pre¬ 
served  since  the  time  of  Peter  the  Great  and 
Catherine ;  some,  of  the  most  extraordinary 
forms  and  dimensions;  one  was  like  a  sum¬ 
mer-house  on  wheels,  with  a  table  in  the 
middle.  There  was  a  numerous  collection 
of  embroidered  housings  and  saddles,  with 
Turkish  and  Persian  bridles;  these  latter 
were  studded  with  amethysts,  turquoises,  and; 
other  precious  stones.  They  were  chiefiy 
presents  from  the  Sultan  and  the  Asiatic  so¬ 
vereigns. 

The  prince  drove  me  in  his  own  sledge, 
which  was  drawn  by  a  very  fine  gray  horse-, 
one  of  the  Emperor’s  Arabs.  I  observed  in 
his  dressing-room  a  new  importation  from 
England  of  Crowther’s  whips.  He  also 
showed  me  a  hazard-table,  which  had  just 
11^ 


118 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


been  made  after  an  English  pattern,  with  a 
box  of  Crockford’s  counters ;  and  he  had  pro¬ 
cured  an  English  groom-porter,  to  teach  the 
odds  and  rules  of  the  game,  which,  to  my 
surprise,  were  unknown  in  Russia,  where 
dice,  though  in  constant  use,  only  serve  for 
the  game  of  passe  dix.  His  manners,  like 
those  of  all  the  well-bred  Russians,  are  ex¬ 
tremely  agreeable  and  prepossessing. 

Another  masquerade  has  been  given  by 
Prince  Wolskonky  to  the  Emperor  and 
Empress,  who  seem  to  enjoy  this  amusement 
infinitely  more  than  the  surrounding  cour¬ 
tiers.  To  the  one,  it  serves' as  a  pretext  for 
emancipation  from  etiquette;  while  to  the 
others,  it  only  seems  like  playing  with  the 
lion,  and  increases  their  anxiety.  In  order 
to  enliven  the  scene.  Prince  Wolskonky  in¬ 
vited  the  actors  and  actresses  from  the  thea¬ 
tre,  to  join  the  group ;  but  even  French  levi¬ 
ty  was  not  proof  against  the  general  awe 
inspired  by  the  presence  of  the  Imperial 
family. 

The  only  person  who  shone  pre-eminently 

on  this  occasion  was  a  Mademoiselle  B - 

a  child  of  fifteen  years,  just  emerged  from 
the  nursery,  who  had  never  been  out  before. 
Wrapped  in  a  domino,  and  feeling  security 
from  her  mask,  she  gave  way  to  all  the  high 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


119 


spirits  and  good  humour  which  such  a  scene 
would  naturally  inspire  at  that  happy  age. 
Heedless  of  the  slippery  ground  on  which 
all  around  her  were  treading  with  so  much 
caution  and  anxiety,  she  chatted  and  laughed 
with  every  one  who  approached  her,  without 
excepting  the  great  personage  himself,  who, 
attracted  by  her  artless,  innocent  mirth,  was 
delighted  with  the  naivete  of  her  manner, 
and  anxious  to  know  her  name.  He  saw  at 
last  some  sims  of  communication  between 

o 

the  young  lady  and  her  uncle,  the  Maitre 
des  Pastes,  from  whom  he  learnt  the  secret. 
He  then  commanded  her  to  unmask,  and, 
taking  her  kindly  by  the  hand,  presented 
her  immediately  to  the  Empress,  in  the  most 
amiable  manner,  who  received  her  with 

equal  affability.  Mademoiselle  B - ff  was 

the  heroine  of  the  night. 

This  constant  aw^e  of  the  Emperor,  which 
pervades  all  classes  of  society  here,  is  almost 
incomprehensible  to  a  foreigner,  w^ho  is  hard¬ 
ly  able  to  appreciate  the  weight  of  that  de¬ 
spotic  power  with  which  he  is  invested; 
more  particularly  as  I  can  hear  of  no  one  in¬ 
stance  on  record  of  caprice  or  injustice  in  his 
conduct;  and  certainly  his  manner,  though 
dignified,  seems  full  of  amenity.  I  suppose, 
however,  the  conviction  that  liberty,  proper- 


120 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


ty,  and  even  life,  are  solely  dependant  on  the 
■will  of  a  sovereign,  must  affect  the  nervous 
system,  and  strew  the  path  of  all  alike  with 
care  and  apprehension*  This  power  extends 
as  well  to  the  Russian  subject  when  abroad, 
as  to  him  who  remains  at  home.  The  tra¬ 
veller,  who  cannot  depart  without  express 
permission,  must  always  return  to  show  him¬ 
self  at  the  end  of  five  years,  under  pain  of 
confiscation  of  his  fortune,  and  is  always 
liable  to  be  ordered  back  to  the  mother-coun¬ 
try  at  the  shortest  notice ;  while  the  remit¬ 
tance  of  property  abroad,  for  the  purpose  of 
emigration,  is  watched  with  such  unceasing 
vigilance  by  the  government,  that  it  is  almost 
impracticable.  All  these  regulations,  which 
are  of  no  new  date,  chime  in  completely  with 
the  views  of  Nicholas,  who,  from  the  mo¬ 
ment  he  ascended  the  throne,  has  adopted  a 
policy  which  is  destined-  to  be  purely  Rus¬ 
sian,  untainted  by  any  partiality  to  foreign 
ideas  and  doctrines.  He  saw  at  one  glance 
the  danger  which  his  brother  Alexander  had 
incurred  from  his  strong  bias  towards  those 
principles,  and  as  they  seemed  to  give  of¬ 
fence  to  the  nation,  he  has  turned  round  upon 
them,  and  said,  “  If  you  choose,  then,  to  be 
governed  a  la  Russe,  be  it  so.”  He  there¬ 
fore  decided  at  once  to  exclude  every  system 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


121 


of  policy  which  comes  from  the  West,  with 
as  much  vigour  and  energy  as  his  great  pre¬ 
decessor  Peter  I.,  when  intenP’on  reforming 
his  barbarous  subjects,  excluded  every  thing 
which  came  from  the  East.  The  task  is  one 
of  great  difficulty,  as,  amidst  this  system  of 
exclusion,  it  is  necessary  to  keep  up  a  re¬ 
doubled  communication  with  Europe,  in 
order  to  gain  lessons  of  industry  and  mecha¬ 
nics,  which  may  finally  render  Russia  more 
completely  independent  of  her  neighbours. 

At  this  present  moment  there  is  hardly  an 
object  of  foreign  manufacture  which  is  not 
exorbitantly  taxed;  and  so  rigid  is  the  exac¬ 
tion,  that  even  my  friend  - ,  who  is  at¬ 

tached  to  the  British  embassy,  was  obliged 
to  pay  a  duty  on  such  a  trifle  as  a  set  of 
uniform  buttons.  Time  was  when  the  Eng¬ 
lish  were  a  favoured  nation  in  Russia,  and 
this  factory  enjoyed  peculiar  advantages  be¬ 
yond  other  countries,  both  in  the  import  and 
export  trade;  the  looms  of  Yorkshire  were 
kept  in  constant  activity  by  the  great  de¬ 
mand  for  broadcloth,  and  every  other  pro¬ 
duce  of  British  manufacture  was  admitted 
for  sale  to  the  great  benefit  of  our  commerce. 
Now,  however,  the  case  is  altered:  the  ex¬ 
port  trade  is  thrown  open  indiscriminately 
to  all  nations,  and  ours  is  ruined  by  the  com- 


122 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


petition.  On  the  other  hand,  prohibitions 
and  duties,  with  a  view  to  .encourage  inter¬ 
nal  manufactures,  no  longer  permit  any  luar- 
ket  for  the  produce  of  British  industry. 
These,  indeed,  are  so  severe,  that  when  put 
in  the  scale  against  Mr.  Huskisson’s  free 
system  on  our  side,  they  exhibit  a  deplorable 
balance  against  us.  But  to  return  to  my 
subject:  while  trammels  are  laid  on  the  in¬ 
troduction  of  foreign  manufactures,  every  in¬ 
ducement  is  held  out  to  import  that  machi¬ 
nery  which  creates  them,  and  to  allure  fo¬ 
reign  workmen  into  the  country.  With  the 
same  view,  while  the  Russian  nobility,  who 
would  probably  return  with  liberal  ideas  im¬ 
bibed  in  foreign  lands,  find  great  difficulty 
in  obtaining  permission  to  travel,  and  are  not 
allowed  in  any  case  to  carry  with  them  their 
sons,  who  are  grown  up,  the  merchants, 
whether  free  or  not,  are  encouraged  to  go 
abroad,  and  collect  commercial  information 
of  every  description,  which  may  afterwards 
be  practically  developed  at  home  on  their 
return.  It  is  impossible  to  predict  how  far 
this  policy  may  ultimately  succeed;  but  the 
geographical  resources  of  this  empire  are  so 
great,  that  if  mechanical  knowledge  and  in¬ 
dustrious  habits  could  once  be  established, 
there  ls  certainly  a  wide  scope  for  improve- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


123 


ment  in  all  the  arts  of  peace,  which  would 
do  more  to  civilize  the  barbarons  masses  than 
a  hundred  military  colonies. 

There  is  one  subject  which,  from  time  to 
time,  is  repeated  in  England,  as  an  alarm- 
bell  tcyrouse  the  nation  against  the  power  of 
Russia,  which  is  the  apprehension  of  an  at¬ 
tack  from  that  quarter  upon  our  Indian  pos¬ 
sessions;  but  I  hear  nothing  from  the  most 
sanguine  advocates  of  Russian  aggrandize¬ 
ment,  which  would  make  me  think  that  sen¬ 
sible  men  have  ever  seriously  entertained  the 
idea  of  such  an  impracticable  project.  I  have 
seen  Russian  officers,  who  have  lately  tra¬ 
velled  into  the  country  v/hich  separates  their 
farthest  provinces  from  our  Indian  frontier, 
and  all  agree  in  their  description  of  the  dan¬ 
gers  and  difficulties  attendant  on  such  a  jour¬ 
ney,  even  for  a  private  individual,  much  more 
for  a  numerous  army.  Some  reasoners  go 
farther,  and  pretend  to  wish  that  we  should 
even  advance  our  Indian  outposts  towards 
their  province  of  Kaboul ;  in  order  that  we 
might  meet  amicably  at  that  distant  point, 
and  co-operate  mutually  in  promoting  an 
overland  communication  from  thence  with 
Europe,  which  would  ensure  to  them  the 
benefits  of  a  carrying  trade  through  Russia, 
and  would  be  of  great  advantage  to  those 


124 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


English  who  are  established  on  that  boun¬ 
dary  of  our  Indian  empire.  I  listen,  howe¬ 
ver,  with  caution  to  any  expression  from  that 
quarter,  of  a  wish  that  we  should  extend  our 
influence  and  power  in  any  shape.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  war  should  ever  be  declared 
between  the  two  countries,  there  is  hardly  a 
doubt  that  the  scene  of  action  will  be  in  the 
East,  though  not  in  that  direction  of  India. 
We  have  little  reason  to  apprehend  a  second 
invasion  of  Cossacks  into  the  fertile  plains  of 
Europe,  by  the  same  road  which  they  took 
in  the  year  1813 :  but  Constantinople  and  the 
Bosphorus  are  always  there,  as  a  source  of 
future  litigation. 


Adieu. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


125 


LETTER  XXIV. 


Strict  observance  of  Lent. — The  Russian  Carnival. — Inspection  of 
a  Regiment  on  Parade. — Duties  of  a  Governor  in  the  provinces. 
— Municipal  regulations. — Napoleon’s  Mameluke — Triumphal 
arch. — The  Field  of  Mars. — English  politics. 

Petersburg,  10th  March,  1830. 

My  dear - , 

The  season  of  Lent,  wliich.  is  here  care¬ 
fully  observed,  at  least  as  to  outv^ard  appear¬ 
ance,  commenced  on  the  5th  instant,  and  the 
theatres  were  closed;  but  as  a  certificate  of 
indisposition  from  a  medical  man  may  ab¬ 
solve  the  patient  from  fasting,  a  marked  al¬ 
teration  has  suddenly  taken  place  in  the 
health  of  this  capital.  The  carnival  closed 
on  the  preceding  night  with  a  masked  ball 
given  by  Count  S.  Potocki,  whose  entertain¬ 
ments  always  take  the  lead  in  splendour  and 
hospitality. 

It  differed  little  from  those  which  preceded 
VOL.  II. — 12 


126 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


it,  except  in  a  fanciful  idea  of  the  host,  who 
had  dressed  his  numerous  servants  as  Vene¬ 
tian  masks :  the  porter  received  the  guests  at 
the  door  in  the  character  of  Punch ;  and  even 
the  large  statue  on  the  staircase,  which  held 
lights,  was  arrayed  in  a  domino  and  mask. 
The  fair  on  the  Grande  Place  before  the  pa¬ 
lace,  which  for  the  last  fortnight  has  attract¬ 
ed  all  the  population  to  its  booths,  its  round¬ 
abouts,  its  pantomimes,  and  its  ice-hills,  is 
now  broke  np,  and  leaves  not  a  wreck  be¬ 
hind  :  high  and  low  must  now  look  forward 
to  forty  days  of  penance  and  reflexion. 

I  went  the  other  morning  to  breakfast  with 
an  officer  in  the  Chevalier  Garde,  at  his  bar¬ 
racks,  in  order  to  see  the  parade  of  his  regi¬ 
ment  in  the  Riding-house:  it  was  a  sight 
which  amply  repaid  the  trouble  of  rising 
early,  and  sledging  through  this  pinching 
climate.  The  men  are  well  disciplined,  and 
have  a  fine  military  appearance;  but  the 
horses  attracted  my  attention  from  their 
beauty  and  docility ;  they  are  highly  dressed 
in  the  manege^  and  when  the  martial  music 
struck  up,  they  seemed  to  dance  e7i  cadence^ 
and  mark  the  time  with  their  feet  like  clock¬ 
work.  Instead  of  the  mixture  of  colours, 
which  is  generally  seen  in  our  cavalry,  the 
greatest  care  is  taken  that  the  horses  of  each 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


127 


regiment  should  be  uniform  in  every  respect, 
both  in  size,  shape,  and  colour,  which  adds 
very  much  to  the  general  effect.  The  Im¬ 
perial  Guard  is  an  army  in  itself;  the  infan¬ 
try  consists  of  the  Ismailoffsky,  Semenoffsky, 
Preotejensky,  Paulo wsky  regiments,  with 
the  grenadiers  and  chasseurs;  the  cavalry 
consists  of  the  chevalier  guard,  the  horse- 
guards,  the  hussars,  the  dragoons,  the  lan¬ 
cers,  the  pioneers,  and  the  artillery. 

I  have  occasionally  alluded  to  the  gover¬ 
nors  in  the  provinces,  without  informing  you 
what  are  the  duties  of  that  officer.  He  is 
appointed  by  the  crown,  and  intrusted  with 
the  superintendence  of  the  whole  district ;  his 
functions  comprise  the  police  department, 
and  the  general  administration  of  the  govern¬ 
ment;  which  latter  branch  also  includes  the 
posts,  the  repair  of  roads,  the  inspection  of 
recruits,  the  passage  of  troops,  and  the  civil 
tribunals.  He  is  in  constant  correspondence 
with  the  minister  of  police  at  St.  Petersburg, 
with  the  senate,  and  with  the  minister  of  jus¬ 
tice.  In  any  case  of  peculiar  urgency  he  is 
authorized  to  write  direct  to  the  Emperor. 
It  is  also  from  his  office  that  all  foreigners 
must  procure  a  permission  to  make  any  stay 
in  the  province,  and  travellers  must  receive 
their  j^adarojna^  or  order,,  to  obtain  post.. 


128 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


horses.  The  Vice-Governor  is  deputed  to 
inspect  all  the  financial  arrangements;  he 
collects  the  taxes,  regulates  the  indirect  con¬ 
tributions  though  his  subalterns,  such  as  the 
salt  and  the  sale  of  spirits,  of  v^hich  the  state 
reserves  to  itself  the  exclusive  privilege.  He 
presides  over  the  board  of  revenue,  he  ex¬ 
amines  all  the  accounts  of  receipts  and  pay¬ 
ments,  provides  the  funds  for  public  build¬ 
ings,  and  those  of  the  crown,  pays  their 
salaries  to  the  government  agents,  and  after 
having  satisfied  all  the  local  demands,  he  re¬ 
mits  the  surplus  to  the  Imperial  exchequer. 

The  police  of  all  the  towns  in  the  province 
is  managed  by  a  Gorodidchi,  or  mayor;  that 
of  the  surrounding  country  belongs  to  the 
captain  of  the  district,  who  is  called  the  Is- 
pradvnik.  The  first  of  these  is  nominated  by 
the  crown,  the  second  by  the  nobles.  The 
service  of  the  engines,  the  lighting  and  cleam 
sing  the  streets,  the  numbering  of  the  houses, 
the  signs,  the  passports,  the  billeting  of  troops, 
the  disputes  between  landlord  and  tenant, 
and  the  sanitory  measures  for  health,  are  re¬ 
ferred  to  the  police  department. 

The  municipal  regulations  are  in  the  hands 
of  the  burghers  and  the  merchants,  who  "are 
elected  among  themselves,  and  retain  the  ap¬ 
pellation  of  magistrates.  One  of  their  priH’ 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


129 


cipal  occHpations  is,  to  receive  the  declara¬ 
tions  of  householders,  and  to  fix  the  amount 
of  contributions  to  be  levied  on  those  fixtures, 
which  are  taxed  in  proportion  to  the  ground 
which  they  occupy,  or  the  value  of  their 
situatipn.  The  magistrate  collects  that  tax, 
and  the  proceeds  are  destined  to  the  repairs 
of  houses  belonging  to  the  crown,  the  clean¬ 
sing  of  canals,  the  purchase  of  straw  for  the 
prisons  and  barracks,  the  subsistence  of  pri¬ 
soners,  and  afterwards  to  the  embellishment 
of  the  town,  the  erection  of  bridges,  &c.  The 
payment  of  the  Boutchniks,  or  guards,  sta¬ 
tioned  in  the  streets,  and  of  the  firemen,  is 
also  defrayed  out  of  the  municipal  funds. 
These  magistrates  also  determine  the  cases  of 
exemption  from  billeting  troops,  and  various 
other  private  discussions  which  arise  amongst 
individuals  on  the  subject  of  rents  and  re¬ 
pairs,  &c.  The  captain  of  the  district  has 
no  right  to  interfere  in  their  decisions,  which 
are  generally  given  with  great  impartiality ; 
and  it  is  only  justice  to  add,  that  this  higher 
class  of  peasantry  in  Russia  is,  in  most  in¬ 
stances,  remarkable  for  its  natural  good  sense, 
and  the  purity  of  its  intentions.  Whenever 
I  hear  this  remark,  it  always  brings  with  it 
the  sickening  reflection,  that  men  of  such 
12^ 


130 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


description,  and  also  Christians,  should  he 
placed  by  fate  in  a  position  which  renders 
them  as  much  the  property  of  their  master  as 
the  horse  which  he  rides. 

It  is  a  singular  fact,  that  Roustan,  the 
Mameluke  of  Napoleon,  was  originally  a 
Russian  subject.  He  was  born  at  Karabagh, 
a  province  between  Elizabeth  Poland  Tauris, 
w^as  carried  off  as  a  slave  by  the  Persians, 
during  one  of  their  later  incursions,  and  sold 
to  the  Turks.  From  thence  he  was  sent  to 
Egypt,  where  he  was  incorporated  with  the 
Mamelukes,  whose  bands  are  often  recruited 
among  the  slaves  which  come  from  the  Cau¬ 
casus  and  the  Persian  border. 

As  you  enter  St.  Petersburg  by  the  road 
from  Strelna,  there  is  a  triumphal  arch  dedi¬ 
cated  to  the  Empress  Catherine,  in  honour 
of  the  combat  of  Tchesme.  It  is  surmounted 
by  six  horses  abreast  harnessed  to  the  car  of 
Victory,  and  adorned  with  colossal  statues 
and  bas-reliefs,  which  attract  the  eye  at  a 
distance ;  but  when  you  approach  the  spot, 
and  find  only  a  dilapidated  mass  of  lath  and 
plaster,  the  effect  is  rather  laughable.  The 
original  intention  was  to  erect  it  in  marble, 
but  the  execution  has  been  so  long  delayed, 
that  the  elements  will  soon  destroy  this  pa- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


131 


per  model  entirely,  which  now  looks  like  a 
temporary  decoration  left  to  decay  after  the 
fair  was  over. 

Near  the  marble  palace  of  the  Grand-dnke 
Constantine,  is  a  fine  open  square,  formerly 
named  the  Meadow  of  the  Czarine,  but  now 
calWd  the  Field  of  Mars:  it  is  chiefly  used 
for  the  exercises  of  the  troops;  and  at  each 
extremity  are  placed  two  monuments,  one  an 
obelisk,  with  inscriptions,  to  commemorate 
the  victories  of  Marshal  Romanzow,  the  other 
a  colossal  statue  of  ‘  General  Suwarrow,  in 
Roman  armour.  He  is  represented  in  a  me¬ 
nacing  attitude,  and  protecting  with  his 
shield  three  crowns,  alluding  to  his  cam¬ 
paigns  in  Italy,  when  he  defended  the  joint 
cause  of  Austria,  Prussia,  and  Russia.  I 
forgot  to  mention,  that  the  statue  of  Peter 
the  Great  bears  the  following  inscription,  in 
Russian  as  well  as  in  Latin : 

Petro  primo, 

Catharina  secunda, 

1782. 

Your  interesting  letter  of  the  10th  ult., 
has,  owing  to  the.  weather,  been  long  on  the 
road,  but  is  jusf  arrived:  The  tragical  end 
of  poor - has  made  me. shudder;  that  in- 


132 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


famous  Sunday  press  may  now  revel  in  the 
mischief  and  misery  which  it  is  always  so 
anxious  to  create. 

What  a  picture  do  you  give  of  English 
politics  and  financial  embarrassments!  but 
if  Mr.  Davenport’s  motion  on  the  state  of  the 
nation  has  already  lasted  three  days,  and  is 
likely  to  occupy  as  many  more,  we  might 
hope  that  the  collective  talents  of  the  sapient 
debaters  would  hit  upon  some  remedy  for  the 
evil;  though  a  deficiency  of  1,400,000/.  in 
the  revenue  must  be  paid  in  more  solid  coin 
than  long-winded  speeches  and  theoretical 
projects.  I  have  the  greatest  faith  in  the 
honesty  and  good  intentions  of  our  present 
rulers,  and  hope  they  may  be  able  to  stem 
the  surrounding  difficulties;  still  the  money 
must  be  found,  somewhere;  as  the  old  lady 
said,  on  refusing  her  daughter  to  a  worthy 
but  needy  suitor,  On  ne  fait  pas  des  soupes 
de  merite,  ni  des  fricassees  de  vertu,  dans 
ce  monde.” 

I  see  that  Lord  Melbourne  has  taken  up 
the  question  of  Portugal,  while  other  attacks 
are  preparing  by  his  auxiliaries  on  the  sub¬ 
jects  of  Greece,  Mexico,  Cuba,  foreign  policy, 
and  the  currency;  the  enemy  is  up  in  eA^ery 
quarter,  and  what  is  still  more  fatally  omi¬ 
nous,  there  are  sad  dissensions  in  the  tory 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


133 


camp.  There  seems  indeed,  as  yon  say,  an 
approaching  storm  in  the  horizon ;  three  par¬ 
ties,  the  Whigs,  the  Huskissonians,  and  the 
Mountain  are  joined  in  coalition  to  attack 
the  government;  but  when  I  see  by  the  pa¬ 
pers  that  ridiculous  person  -  utter  his 

invectives  against  the  noble  lion  in  his  dis¬ 
tress,  I  am  temped  to  exclaim  with  La  Fon¬ 
taine, 

II  attend  son  destin  sans  faire  aucunes  plaintes ; 

Quand  voyant  I’ane  meme  son  antre  accourir, 

Ah  !  c’est  trop,  lui  dit-il,  je  voulois  bien  mourir ; 

Mais  c’est  mourir  deux  fois  que  soufFrir  tes  atteintes. 

It  is  rather  amusing  to  see  a  vote  of  thanks 

to  the  ultra  tory  Lord  B - proposed  by  old 

Cobbett.  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  were  so  well 
amused  with  the  party  at  Witley :  how  could 
it  be  otherwise  under  that  most  hospitable 
roof?  What  a  contrast  to  the  life  I  am  lead¬ 
ing  here !  Much  as  I  should  have  been  de¬ 
lighted  in  being  with  you,  I  should  have 
been  very  sorry  to  have  joined  that  which 
you  mention  went  to  C — ^ — . 


Yours  ever, 


134 


CITY  OF  THE  CZARi 


LETTER  XXV. 


Barbarous  and  inhospitable  Custom. — Russian  Climate. — Travel¬ 
ling  on  the  Ice. — French  table  d’hdte. — Espionage. — Turkish 
Law. — Instance  of  the  Administration  of  Justice  in  Constanti¬ 
nople. 


Petersburg,  16th  March,  1830. 

My  dear  — — , 

Although  mine  is  not  a  sentimental  jour¬ 
ney,  I  find  that  I  am  like  Sterne’s  starling — 
I  can’t  get  out.”  This  morning  I  casually 
observed  to  my  servant,  that  I  might  proba¬ 
bly  in  a  few  days  set  out  for  Paris,  but  I  soon 
found  that  vouloir  is  not  pouvoir.  I  must 
announce  my  intention  publicly  in  the  Ga¬ 
zette  three  weeks  before  I  can  obtain  a  pass¬ 
port.  The  object  of  this  unnecessary  shackle 
I  cannot  comprehend,  unless  it  be,  that  as 
few  strangers  visit  this  distant  capital,  their 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


135 


stay  should  be  prolonged  to  make  up  for  the 
absence  of  others.  There  is  something  so 
galling  in  this  idea  of  restraint,  that  I  shall 
now  feel  very  anxious  to  quit  this  country, 
which,  on  the  other  hand,  affords  no  amuse¬ 
ment  to  counterbalance  this  unusual  inter- 
ferencie  with  personal  liberty.  It  is  said  to 
originate  in  a  suspicion  that  foreigners  might 
incur  debts  and  leave  them  unpaid;  but  I 
should  think  that  the  wary  character  of ^  the 
natives,  and  the  long  dreary  road  to  the  fron¬ 
tier,  might  set  their  minds  at  rest  on  that 
subject.  At  all  events,  it  is  a  barbarous  and 
inhospitable  custom,  and  an  attempt  to  sub¬ 
ject  a  foreigner  to  a  part  of  that  odious  sys¬ 
tem  which  prevails  universally  throughout 
the  country. 

We  had  yesterday  a  shower  of  rain,  but  it 
is  no  indication  of  spring,  as  the  frost  conti¬ 
nues,  without  intermission  to-day.  Cathe¬ 
rine  called  the  St.  Petersburg  summer  ‘Hhe 
green  winter;”  and  as  that  season  is  general¬ 
ly  accompanied  with  frequent  rain,  she  sum¬ 
med  up  the  climate  by  saying,  ‘^We  have 
eight  months  of  winter,  and  four  months  of 
bad  weather.”  At  times  I  am  told  it  is  very 
hot,  and  there  is  hardly  any  night ;  the  moon 
is  so  bright  that  you  may  read  a  newspaper 
at  midnight  without  a  candle.  When  the 


136 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


thaw  really  arrives,  its  approaches  are  gra¬ 
dual;  hut  instances  have  been  known  when 
a  few  hours  have  been  sufficient  to  loosen  the 
icy  surface  of  the  Neva,  and  then  very  seri¬ 
ous  accidents  have  occurred.  This  may  be 
caused  by  a  sudden  veering  of  the  wind  to 
south-west,  which  if  it  should  happen  during 
the  night,  comes  upon  the  inhabitants  un¬ 
awares  in  the  morning,  who  resuming  their 
usual  path  over  the  perfidious  element,  with 
their  horses,  sledges,  and  loaded  carts,  are  at 
times  ingulfed  in  the  waters. 

No  sooner  is  the  winter  firmly  established 
and  the  navigation  interrupted,  than  the 
whole  gulf  from  Cronstadt  to  St.  Petersburg 
becomes  a  great  high  road,  on  which,  for  a 
space  of  thirty  worsts,  carriages  and  goods 
are  constantly  moving  to  and  fro  with  sup¬ 
plies  for  the  capital.  As  the  distance  is  more 
than  a  day’s  journey  for  these  loaded  convey¬ 
ances,  wooden  houses,  are  constructed  on  the 
ice  to  receive  the  travellers  and  the  cattle, 
where  they  put  up  for  the  night ;  and  there 
are  frequently  not  less  than  fifty  horses,  with 
a  proportionate  number  of  peasants,  sheltered 
under  one  roof  from  the  inclemency  of  the 
weather.  It  is  not  more  than  two  or  three 
years  since  one  of  these  sudden  changes  of 
the  wind  took  place  early  in  the  evening;  the 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR.  137 

humble  inn  and  its  dependencies  were  filled 
with  travellers  and  their  beasts,  who  retired 
to  rest  without  have  remarked  the  alteration. 
They  slept  through  the  night  totally  uncon¬ 
scious  of  the  thaw'  which  was  hourly  under¬ 
mining  their  frail  tenement,  and  when  in  the 
mornfng  all  were  prepared  to  resume  their 
journey,  the  ice  suddenly  gave  way,  and 
men,  horses,  and  buildings,  were  precipitated 
at  once  into  a  watery  grave. 

Disasters  of  a  less  wholesale  nature  also 
frequently  occur  from  the  holes  which  are 
dug  in  the  ice  for  a  supply  of  water  to  the 
town,  in  which  many  a  nightly  wanderer  has 
disappeared  and  never  been  seen  again  till 
the  river  has  become  navigable.  In  ordina¬ 
ry  times,  when  the  usual  symptoms  have  an¬ 
nounced  the  approaching  dispartion  of  the 
ice,  the  police  is  actively  employed  in  pre¬ 
venting  all  passengers  from  crossing  the  river. 

As  the  ordinaire  of  a  Russian  hotel  is  not 
very  attractive,  I  frequently  dine  with  some 
friend  at  a  French  restaurant^  at  the  corner 
of  the  Perspective,  kept  by  Dubois,  wRere  a 
tolerable  dinner  is  served  at  a  table  d'hote, 
which  is  frequented  in  general  by  very  good 
society.  The  conversation,  I  observe,  is  very 
guarded,  as  you  may  also  perceive  by  the  fol¬ 
lowing  circumstance,  which  (xcurred  there 

VOL.  IL — 13 


138 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


yesterday.  At  the  close  of  dinner  I  was 
seated  at  one  end  of  the  table  with  three  or 
four  individuals  of  my  acquaintance,  when 
the  topic  of  Paris,  and  the  amusements  which 
that  capital  alfords  to  strangers,  w^as  casually 
introduced,  and  I  was  imperceptibly  led  to 
draw  a  comparison  between  them  and  the 
resources  to  be  found  at  St.  Petersburg,  not 
very  advantageous  to  the  latter.  One  of 
these  individuals,  a  Russian,  a  man  of  very 
superior  understanding,  who  has  travelled 
much  in  Europe,  and  has  acquired  conside¬ 
rable  knowledge  of  the  world,  maintained,  to 
my  surprise,  a  contrary  opinion,  and  launched 
out  into  a  most  indiscriminate  praise  of  his 
own  capital,  which  he  exalted  above  any 
other.  I  did  not  attempt  to  continue  the  ar¬ 
gument,  but  was  certainly  at  a  loss  to  account 
for  an  opinion  savouring  so  much  of  preju¬ 
dice,  in  one  whose  mind  was  of  a  superior 
cast,  and  very  enlightened  on  all  other  sub¬ 
jects.  When  we  rose  from  table,  he  took  me 
aside  and  privately  said,  “You  w^ere  perhaps 
surprised  just  now  at  my  language,  but  did 
you  not  observe  two  persons  near  you  who 
were  listening  attentively  to  our  conversa¬ 
tion?'  I  have  no  doubt  they  were  spies,  and 
that  any  unguarded  expression  from  me 
would  have  been  misinterpreted,  and  report- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


139 


ed  this  very  night  to  government;  and  thongh 
my  character  is  beyond  suspicion,  yet  still  I 
hold  an  employment,  and  the  caution  is  al¬ 
ways  advisable.” 

A  French  gentleman,  who  was  formerly 
emp^yed  by  his  government  at  Constanti¬ 
nople,  and  dines  frequently  at  the  house  of 
Dubois,  told  me  the  following  instance  of  the 
manner  in  which  justice  is  administered  at 
that  place,  by  the  cadis  or  inferior  magis¬ 
trates,  when  delits  are  claimed  from  the  na¬ 
tives  by  foreigners.  It  may  give  you  some 
idea  of  Turkish  law. 

A  manufacturer  of  Carcassonne  arrived  at 
Constantinople  with ,  a  large  investment  of 
cloths,  which,  by  a  new  process,  he  had  ren¬ 
dered  peculiarly  fit  for  the  Turkish  market. 
An  Armenian  dealer  was  highly  pleased  with 
the  quality,  and  bought  the  whole  assort¬ 
ment,  for  which  he  paid  the  owner  bj^  his 
note  of  hand,  falling  due  at  a  short  term. 
When  the  period  for  payment  arrived,  the 
French  merchant  called  upon  his  debtor  with 
the  bill,  and  demanded  the  settlement;  but 
great  was  his  surprise,  when  the  other  de¬ 
clared  he  had  already  paid  it.  ^‘How  can 
that  be  true,”  said  the  indignant  Frenchman, 
when  here  is  your  own  note,  and  I  should 


140  CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 

* 

have  given  it  up  to  you,  had  it  been  duly  ac¬ 
quitted  ? 

''Your  paper  is  of  no  consequence,’’  re¬ 
plied  the  Armenian;  "  I  have  paid  the  amount 
and  can  produce  my  v^itnesses,  which  is  of 
more  importance  than  your  title.”  In  this 
dilemma,  the  unfortunate  creditor  saw  no  re¬ 
source  left  to  him  but  an  application  to  the 
French  ambassador,  who,  feeling  the  in  effi¬ 
cacy  of  his  own  intervention,  recommended 
the  plaintiff  to  put  his  case  into  the  hands 
of  one  of  his  interpreters,  a  man  of  much 
shrewdness,  who  had  diligently  studied  the 
chicanery  of  Turkish  law,  and  was  well 
aware  of  the  facilities  which  it  offered  to 
dishonest  debtors  in  their  transactions  with 
a  foreigner.  The  dragoman  having  prepared 
his  measures,  counselled  the  merchant  to  cite 
the  Armenian  before  the  judge.  When  all 
were  assembled  in  court,  the  Frenchman 
was  asked,  what  was  the  ground  of  his  com¬ 
plaint?  He  answered,  the  settlement  of  this 
bill,  which  that  man  pretends  to  have  paid. 

"What  do  you  reply  to  this?”  said  the 
cadi  to  the  defendant. 

"  That  I  have  already  paid  it.” 

"  And  why  did  you  then  neglect  to  retain 
your  signature?” 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


14i 


I  did  not  tliink  it  necessary.” 

Have  you  any  witnesses?” 

“Yes!  here  they  are.” 

Two  men  immediately  advanced  from  the 
crowd,  and  bore  testimony  to  the  payment 
of  the  note,  mentioning  certain  details  to 
strengthen  their  evidence,  and  particularly 
the  hour  and  the  day  when  it  took  place. 

“  You  see,”  said  the  judge  to  the  French¬ 
man;  “  this  man  owes  you  nothing.” 

The  affair  seemed  to  be  decided,  the  dis¬ 
comfiture  of  the  plaintiff  was  complete,  when 
the  interpreter,  who  had  hitherto  remained 
silent,  thus  addressed  the  judge:  “We  allow 
that  this  man  did  actually  pay  the  note  in 
the  manner  and  at  the  time  that  these  worthy 
persons  have  asserted ;  but  they  omit  to  state, 
or  probably  are  not  aware,  that  yielding  to 
the  entreaties  of  this  Armenian,  who  made  a 
merit  of  his  punctuality  in  the  first  instance, 
to  obtain  a  longer  accommodation,  of  ^vhich 
he  was  in  great  want,  we  returned  him  the 
money  afterwards  as  a  private  loan,  for  which 
he  allowed  us  to  retain  his  note  as  a  security ; 
and  to  prove  this,  here  are  our  witnesses.” 

Two  other  individuals  then  appeared,  who 
testified  broadly  to  the  truth  of  this  last  as¬ 
sertion,  which  the  dishonest  Armenian,  not 
being  prepared  to  rebut,  he  was  immediately 
13^ 


142 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


condemned  to  satisfy  the  claim,  to  the  great 
satisfaction  of  the  injured  plaintiff. 

Your  last  letter,  which  I  received  this 
morning,  is  very  interesting.  Parliament 
seems  to  have  met  under  very  singular  cir¬ 
cumstances.  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  respect¬ 
able  institution,  the  Argyle  Rooms,  is  burnt 
to  the  ground. 


Yours  ever. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


143 


r 


LETTER  XXVI. 

Arrangements  for  leaving  St.  Petersburg. — Population  of  that 
capital. — Apparent  happiness  of  the  People. — Their  filthy 
dress. — Charity  of  the  Russians. — No  instances  of  Suicide  in 
Russia. — ^Policy  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas.' — Speculations  as  to 
the  future  influence  of  Russia. — Adieu  to  the  City  of  the  Czar. 

Petersburg,  25th  March,  1830. 

My  dear - , 

This  is  probably  the  last  letter  which 
you  will  receive  from  me  dated  in  the  hyper- 
boreal  capital:  I  have  made  my  arrange¬ 
ments  with  Lord  V -  to  journey  home¬ 

wards  together  as  far  as  Berlin,  from  whence 
he  will  return  to ’England,  and  I  shall  pro¬ 
ceed  to  Paris.  Instead  of  ordering  the  wheels 
to  be  greased,  they  are  already  taken  off  the 
carriages,  and  packed  up  behind,  which  are 
then  placed  on  sledges,  and  we  have  only  to 


144 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


hope  that  the  frost  may  continne  till  we  pass 
the  frontiers,  as  a  sudden  thaw  would  render 
the  roads  dangerous  and  impassable. 

The  population  itself  of  this  capital,  with¬ 
out  the  military,  is  not  reckoned  at  more  than 
340,000  souls,  and  from  the  appearance  of 
the  streets,  I  should  not_  have  imagined  that 
it  was  so  numerous ;  but  circumstances  may 
account  for  this  air  of  desertion  which  is  ge¬ 
nerally  remarked.  The  servants,  a  very  nu¬ 
merous  class  in  all  Russian  families,  are  en¬ 
gaged  at  home;  the  higher  classes  seldom 
walk  out  on  foot;  the  mechanics  are  habitual¬ 
ly  industrious,  and  rarely  quit  their  work¬ 
shops  from  morning  till  night ;  ■  and  that 
swarm  of  loiterers,  which  frequent  the  public 
ways  in  London  and  Paris  in  search  of 
amusement,  is  here  absolutely  unknown.  It 
would,  therefore,  be  difficult  to  form  a 
judgment  of  the  numerical  population  by  the 
faces  which  present  themselves  to  general 
observation.  One  circumstance,  however, 
is  worthy  of  remark  as  you  pass  through  the 
streets,  and  may  reconcile  a  philanthropist  to 
the  monotony  of  the  scene.  Those  whom 
you  do  meet  are  invariably  distinguished  by 
a  calm  serenity  of  countenance,  which  indi¬ 
cates  the  absence  of  care  and  misery.  That 
harassing  anxiety  to  procure  the  means  of 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


145 


subsistence,  which  you  see  marked  in  the 
features  of  so  many  poor  wretches  in  other 
countries,  is  here  even  in  the  most  bitter 
weather  never  perceptible.  It  is  said,  that 
in  London  and  Paris  more  than  20,000  per¬ 
sons  rise  in  the  morning  without  knowing 
where  to  procure  a  morsel  of  food,  or  lay 
their  heads  at  night.  Here  the  cheapness  of 
provisions,  the  certainty  of  employment,  and 
the  indifference  of  the  Russian  as  to  nightly 
accommodation,  (for  he  will  contentedly 
sleep  on  a  stone  or  a  plank,)  render  him  in¬ 
dependent;  while  the  conviction  that  he  has 
a  master  who  superintends  his  welfare  as 
well  as  his  labour,  relieves  his  mind  from  all 
care  for  the  present  or  thought  for  the  mor-^ 
row. 

There  is  nothing  very  attractive  in  the  ge¬ 
neral  aspect  of  the  foot-passengers  whom  you 
meet.  A  foreigner  is  disgusted  with  the  va¬ 
riety  of  beards  which  conceal  their  features 
and  give  them  a  squalid,  dirty  appearance; 
while  the  uncombed  hair,  which  is  cut  short 
and  square  round  the  nape  of  the  neck,  is 
equally  unbecoming ;  add  to  this  the  general 
winter  attire,  which  consists  of  a  sheep-skin 
worn  inside  outwards,  and  by  constant  use 
become  filthy  and  rancid,  and  you  will  allow 
a  Russian  mougik  to  be  no  agreeable  neigh- 


146 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


hour  even  in  the  open  air.  The  better  class 
of  tradesmen  are  more  careful  of  their  ap¬ 
pearance^  but  the  young  men  adopt  a  dress 
which  is  neither  caftan  nor  great  coat ;  and 
fhe  beard,  the  only  relic  of  the  Asiatic 
costume,  suits  very  ill  with  the  rest.  The 
women,  no  one  knows  why,  have  renounced 
the  national  dress  entirely,  and  wear  awk¬ 
wardly  enough  a  caricature  imitation  of  the 
French  fashions. 

-The  Russians  are  a  charitable  nation: 
there  are  very  few  beggars,  I  do  not  remem¬ 
ber  to  have  seen  one  in  the  streets ;  and  they 
are  in  general  ready  to  assist  the  distressed. 
If  an  escort  of  soldiers  should  pass  conduct¬ 
ing  a  band  of  prisoners,  you  may  see  the 
tradesman  quit  his  counter,  or  the  Ischvosh- 
nik  his  sledge,  to  contribute  something  to 
their  relief  At  the  door  of  every  prison  is 
placed  a  charity-box,  into  which  even  the 
lower  orders  silently  drop  their  alms;  the 
contents  are  examined  at  night,  and  it  is  ne¬ 
ver  found  to  be  empty. 

There  is  another  point  in  which  the  Rus¬ 
sians  are  distinguished  from  their  more  ci¬ 
vilized  neighbours,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  they 
may  always  continue  to  enjoy  that  distinc¬ 
tion: — there  are  no  suicides.  The  absence 
of  immediate  want  preserves  the  lower  orders 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


147 


from  this  act  of  desperation ;  and  the  higher 
classes,  entirely  occupied  with  an  all-absorb¬ 
ing  dread  of  the  sovereign,  are  little  prone 
to  those  romantic  sentiments,  or  unruly  pas¬ 
sions,  which  lead  to  such  fatal  catastrophes 
in  other  countries.  The  unchangeable  sys¬ 
tem  of  the  government,  which  admits  of  no 
innovations,  and  excludes  all  party  or  politi¬ 
cal  feeling,  pursues  steadily  the  beaten  track. 
No  change  of  ministry  suddenly  deprives  a 
long  list  of  dependants  of  the  means  of  sup¬ 
port;  no  revolution  occurs  to  satiate  the  needy 
with  the  spoils  of  the  rich,  and  drive  a  ruined 
man  to  acts  of  despair;  no  disappointed  art¬ 
ist,  or  grisette  crossed  in  love,  seeks  a  refuge 
from  her  woes  in  a  pan  of  charcoal  or  a  wa¬ 
tery  grave;  the  nets  of  the  Serpentine  and 
the  Seine  would  find  little  occupation  in  the 
stream  of  the  Neva. 

These  are  the  privileges  of  high  civiliza¬ 
tion,  and  the  Russian  has  not  yet  arrived  at 
that  pitch  of  refinement;  while  the  chilling 
atmosphere  which  he  breathes,  regulates  the 
temperature  of  his  blood,  and  keeps  his  pas¬ 
sions  under  proper  subjection. 

The  observations  to  be  made  on  a  country, 
so  difierent  from  any  thing  which  we  have 
ever  seen,  would  be  endless,  if  I  descended 
into  more  minute  details.  I  have  written  to 


148 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


you  those  which  principally  attracted  my 
notice,  as  a  traveller;  the  rest  must  come 
within  the  province  of  the  historian.  View¬ 
ing  this  country  with  the  eye  of  a  free-born 
Englishman,  it  is  impossible  to  quit  it  with¬ 
out  the  full  conviction,  that  a  permanent  ex¬ 
istence  here  must  be  intolerable ;  though  it 
must  be  allowed,  on  the  other  hand,  that  the 
shackles  under  which  all  uniformly  labour, 
seem  to  be  the  only  means  by  which  the  com¬ 
plicated  machinery  of  this  extensive  govern¬ 
ment  could  be  efficiently  directed.  Power 
so  despotic  in  evil  hands  might,  if  it  lasted, 
weigh  indeed  heavily  on  all ;  but,  wielded  by 
a  man  who  is  himself  (in  all  respects)  so 
eminently  superior  to  all  around  him,  and 
actuated  by  such  praiseworthy  motives,  it 
becomes  an  instrument  in  the  hand  of  Pro¬ 
vidence  to  work  out  by  one  absolute  will  the 
amelioration  of  a  vast  portion  of  the  globe, 
hitherto  left  for  centuries  in  a  state  of  de¬ 
grading  barbarism.  The  new  policy  of  the 
Emperor  Nicholas,  who,  warned  by  the  fate 
of  his  brother,  now  closes  the  door  against 
European  institutions,  which  might  inter¬ 
fere  with  his  authority,  may  keep  back  the 
advancement  of  his  European  subjects  for 
the  time;  but  enough  has  already  been 
gained  by  Russia,  to  impart  a  vast  improve- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


149 


ment  in  the  arts  of  civilized  life  to  those  bar¬ 
barous  hordes  which  form  the  Asiatic  frontier 
of  the  empire,  notwithstanding  the  compara¬ 
tively  backward  state  of  the  entire  country. 
I  am  not  one  of  those  who  are  sceptical  as  to 
her  future  influence  in  promoting  the  great 
work  of  civilization,  which  is  destined,  in  its 
turn,  to  visit  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  As 
every  thing  in  this  world,  by  the  order  of 
Nature,  when  it  has  reached  the  culminating 
point,  turns  to  decay;  when  old  Europe  is 
worn  out,  and  her  present  supremacy  has 
faded  away  before  the  rise  of  intellect  and 
power  of  a  new  world ;  when  it  is  become, 
like  the  empires  of  former  ages,  a  mere  his¬ 
torical  record  of  the  past;  it  is  no  very  vague 
conjecture  to  suppose,  that  America  on  one 
side,  and  Russia  on  the  other,  both  placed  in 
immediate  contact  with  the  most  barbarous 
nations,  may  ultimately  become  the  instru¬ 
ments  of  promoting  this  great  change  in  the 
civilized  Avorld. 

I  am  diving  deep  into  the  womb  of  time, 
and  treating  you  with  a  very  useless  specu¬ 
lation,  as  Europe  looks  well  and  healthy  at 
present,  showing  no  symptoms  of  decay; 
while  Russia,  as  she  is  in  1830,  immersed  in 
a  vicious  circle  of  slavery  and  corruption, 

VOL.  ii. — 14 


150 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


gives  little  promise  of  becoming  a  future  re¬ 
generator  of  mankind. 

The  immense  territory  of  this  empire  is 
counterbalanced  by  the  thinness  of  its  popu¬ 
lation  ;  and  the  difficulty  of  circulation  from 
the  seat  of  government  to  the  distant  pro¬ 
vinces,  must  oppose  great  obstacles  to  an 
energetic  administration  of  its  resources; 
though,  as  every  thing  depends  on  the  will  of 
one  man,  much  time  may  be  saved  by  quick¬ 
ness  of  decision.  Russia  has  already  out¬ 
grown  her  proportions ;  she  has  a  great  sur¬ 
face  of  barren  intangible  land^  which  is  more 
calculated  to  embarrass  than  increase  her 
power,  and  must  give  her  so  much  internal 
occupation,  that  without  some  unforeseen  pro¬ 
vocation,  she  can  have  little  wish  to  interfere 
with  her  neighbours  in  Europe.  It  must  be 
her  object  to  remain  at  peace,  and  the  pre¬ 
sent  state  of  her  military  force  is  little  cal¬ 
culated  to  alarm  the  jealousy  of  foreign  pow¬ 
ers. 

The  numerous  formalities  of  obtaining  a 
passport  are  completed ;  a  long  and  tedious 
road  lies  before  me,  but  it  leads  to  happier 
climes,  and  scenes  of  which  I  never  felt  the 
real  value,  till  they  were  contrasted  with 
those  which  I  am  now  about  to  quit.  If 
Voltaire,  on  quitting  Holland,  was  tempted 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


151 


to  exclaim,  “  Adieu  Canaux,  Canards,  Ca¬ 
naille!”  I  may  take  the  same  comprehensive 
view  of  the  subject  here,  by  saying  in  my 
turn,  Adieu  Barbons,  Barbus,  Barbares.” 
Write  to  me  at  Paris,  at  the  same  hotel  as 
usuaLp 


Yours  ever. 


152 


SOVEREIGNS  OF  RUSSIA. 


GENEALOGY  OF  THE  SOVEREIGNS, 

WHO  HAVE  REIGNED  IN  RUSSIA,  FROM  THE  YEAR  862  TO 
THE  PRESENT  TIME. 


FIRST  PERIOD. 

A.  D. 

862.  1.  Rurik. 

Born  amongst  the  Varegues  in  830;  died  at 
Novogorod  in  879:  he  left  his  son  Igor,  under 
age,  to  the  guardianship  of  Oleg. 

879.  II.  Oleg. 

Guardian  of  Igor;  born  at  Kiew,  where  he 
died  in  913.  He  gained  possession  of  Kiew, 
which  became  the  seat  of  the  Russian  empire. 

913.  HI.  Igor. 

Son  of  Rurik  ;;born  at  Novogorod  in  877,  and 
slain  by  the  Drevlians  in  945.  He  married  Olga, 
and  left  a  son  under  age. 

IV.  Olga. 

Wife  of  Igor;  regent  during  the  minority  of 
her  son  Sviatoslaw;  born  in  885;  died  at  Kiew 
in  955.  She  was  a  Christian. 


945. 


SOVEREIGNS  OF  RUSSIA. 


153 


A.  D. 

955.  V.  SviATOSLAW. 

Son  of  Igor;  born  at  Kiew  in  933;  killed  by 
the  Petchenegues  in  973. 

073.  VI.  Jarropolk. 

Eldest  son  of  Sviatoslaw;  born  at  Kiew,  and 
iffurdered  in  the  same  town,  in  980. 

980.  VII.  Vlapimir, 

(surnamed  the  Great) 

Third  son  of  Sviatoslaw;  born  in  935;  and 
died  in  1015.  He  became  a  Christian  to  espouse 
the  Princess  Anne,  sister  of  the  Emperor  of 
Constantinople.  All  Russia  followed  his  exam¬ 
ple.  He  divided  his  empire  between  the  ten 
sons  whom  he  had  by  six  wives.' 


SECOND  PERIOD. 

The  Empire  Divided. 

1015.  VIII.  SVIATOPOLK. 

Posthumous  son  of  Jarropolk,  is  recognised 
son  of  Vladimir,  because  this  last  had  espoused 
his  brother’s  wife,  already  big  with  Sviatopolk. 
He  died  in  Bohemia  in  1016. 

1017.  IX.  Jaroslaw  I. 

Son  of  Vladimir.  He  gave  the  first  code  of 
laws  to  the  Russians.  He  died  in  1054,  after  a 
14* 


154 


SOVEREIGNS  OF  RUSSIA. 


glorious  reign  of  thirty-five  years.  He  left  five 
sons,  to  whom  he  left  his  estates  in  partition. 

1054.  X.  IziASLAW. 

Son  of  Jaroslaw  the  First.  During  this  reign, 
Iviatoslaw  the  Second,  brother  of  Iziaslaw, 
usurps  the  throne :  he  reigned  three  years,  and 
died.  Iziaslaw  remounts  the  throne :  he  is  killed 
in  combat,  in  1078,  after  a  reign  of  twenty-four 
years. 

1078.  XI.  Vsevolod. 

Son  of  Jaroslaw:  he  died  of  the  plague  at 
Kiew,  after  a  reign  of  fifteen  years. 

1093.  .  XII.  SviATOPOLK  II. 

Son  of  Iziaslaw:  he  reigned  twenty  years. 

1113.  XIII.  Vladimir  II. 

Son  of  Vsevolod:  he  issurnamed  Monomach, 
because  his  mother  was  daughter  of  Constan¬ 
tine  Monomach,  >  Emperor  of  Constantinople. 
This  great  man  reigned  twelve  years. 

1125.  XIV.  Mstislaw. 

Son  of  Vladimir,  and  reigned  six  years. 

1132.  XV.  Jarropolk  II. 

Son  of  Vladimir,  reigned  seven  years. 

1139.  XVI.  VlATCHESLAW. 

Son  of  Vladimir,  reigned  only  twelve  days: 
he  was  dethroned  by  Vsevolod  the  Second. 


SOVEREIGNS  OF  RUSSIA. 


155 


A.  D. 

1139.  XVII.  Vsevolod  II. 

Son  of  Oleg,  and  grandson  of  Sviatoslaw  II. : 
he  reigned  seven  years.  < 

1146.  XVIII.  Igor  II. 

/Son  of  Oleg,  and  brother  to  the  foregoing : 
he  reigned  thirteen  days,  and  was  deposed. 

1146.  XIX.  IziASLAW  II. 

Son  of  Mstislaw,  grandson  of  Vladimir  Mo- 
nomach :  he  reigned  twelve  years. 

1154.  XX.  Rostislaw, 

Son  of  Mstislaw,  and, 

r.  . 

XXI.  IziASLAW  III. 

They  only  reigned  together  one  year. 

1154.  XXII.  George,  or  Jouri, 

Son  of  Vladimir  Monomach :  he  was  sur- 
named  Dolgoroucky  (long  hand.) '  The  throne 
of  Kiew  was  consecutively  occupied  by  Izias- 
law,  son  of  David,  the  Mstislaw,  son  of  Izias- 
law,  and  Rostislaw,  son  of  Mstislaw:  these 
troubles  form  an  Interregnum,  after  which, 

XXIII.  Andrew, 

Son  of  Dolgoroucky,  surnamed  Boholubski, 
transferred  his  residence  to  Vladimir,  which 
thus  became  the  metropolis. 


156 


SOVEREIGNS  OF  RUSSIA. 


A.  D. 

1157.  XXIV.  Andrew, 

» 

Son  of  Jouri  Dolgoroucky :  he  was  assassi¬ 
nated  by  his  wife  and  his  brothers-in-law 
Koutchko. 

1175.  Interregnum, 

During  which  Mstislaw  and  Jarrapolk  dis-. 
pute  the  throne. 

1176.  XXV.  Michael, 

Son  of  Jouri  Dolgoroucky. 

1177.  XXVI.  Vsevolod  III. 

Otherwise  Dmitri  I.  son  of  Jouri. 

1213.  XXVII.  George,  or  Jouri  II. 

Son  of  Vsevolod  III.  dethroned  by  his  bro-. 
ther. 

1216.  XXVIII.  Constantine, 

Surnamed  the  Wise :  he  protected  literature, 
and  was  a  great  sovereign :  he  named  for  his 
successor  the  same  George^  oi;  Jouri,  whom  he 
had  dethroned..  ' 

1218.  Jouri  II. 

Resumed  the  crown.  In^  this  year  Baton 
Khan  began  his  first  incursions  into  Russia: 
he  defeated  and  killed  the  Grand-duke  in  1237.. 


SOVEREIGNS  OF  RUSSIA. 


157 


THIRD  PERIOD. 

From  the  submission  of  Russia  to  the  Tartars^  to  the  esta¬ 
blishment  of  the  first  Russian  throne  at  Moscow. 

A.  D. 

1238.  XXIX.  Jaroslaw  II. 

Son  of  Vsevolod :  he  died  on  his  return  from 
the  grand  horde,  whither  he  had  been  sent  by 
Baton  Khan.  It  is  generally  thought  that  he 
was  poisoned. 

1246.  XXX  SVIATOSLAW  III. 

Son  of  Vsevolod :  he  was  supplanted  by  his 
nephew,  and  died  in  1253. 

1248.  XXXI.  Michael  II. 

Son  of  Jaroslaw :  he  was  killed  after  a  reign 
of  a  few  months,  fighting  with  the  Lithuanians. 

1248.  XXXII.  Andrew  II. 

Son  of  Jaroslaw :  he  reigned  three  years. 

1252.  XXXIII.  Alexander, 

Son  of  Jaroslaw :  he  was  surnamed  Newski, 
on  account  of  his  victories  over  the  Swedes  on 
the  Neva.  He  was  a  great  prince,  and  was 
canonized  by  the  Greek  church  after  his  death. 
He  reigned  ten  years  as  Grand-duke,  and 
twenty-three  years  previously,  as  hereditary 
Prince  of  Novogorod. 

1263.  XXXIV.  Jaroslaw  III. 

Brother  of  the  preceding :  he  reigned  eight 
years. 


158 


SOVEREIGNS  OF  RUSSIA. 


1271.  XXXV.  Vassilei,  or  Basil, 

Son  of  Jaroslaw. 

1276.  XXXVI.  Dmitri  II. 

Son  of  Alexander  Newski:  he  reigned 
eighteen  years,  and  died,  after  a  troubled  reign, 
in  1294. 

1294.  XXXVII.  Andrew  III. 

Son  of  Alexander  Newski. 

1295.  '  XXXVIII.  Daniel, 

Son  of  Alexander,  Prince  of  Moscow:  he  is 
the  first  sovereign  of  that  city  who  took  the 
name  and  title  of  Grand-duke.  He  died^in 
1303. 

1304.  XXXIX.  Michael  III. 

Son  of  Jaroslaw  III:  he  reigned  fourteen 
years.  He  was  condemned  to  death,  and  mur¬ 
dered  in  the  horde,  whither  he  had  been  sum¬ 
moned  by  Usbek  Khan. 

1320.  XL.  JouRi  III. 

Son  of  Daniel:  he  was  assassinated  in  the 
horde  by  Dmitri  III. 

1322,  XLI.  Dmitri  III. 

Son  of  Michael  HI :  he  was  condemned  to 
death,  and  executed  in  the  horde. 

1325.  XLII.  Alexander  IL 

Son  of  Michael  III:  he  quitted  the  throne, 
and  fled  to  Pscow,  where  he  was  beheaded  in 
the  horde,  1339. 


SOVEREIGNS  OF  RUSSIA. 


159 


FOURTH  PERIOD. 

From  the  first  establishment  of  the  Russian  throne  at 
Moscow,  to  the  entire^  escape  from  the  Tartar  yoke, 
the  period  at  which  the  Grand-dukes  took  the  title  of 
Tzar. 

A.  D. 

1328.  XLIII.  I  WAN  I. 

r 

Surnamed  Kalita,  was  the  son  of  Daniel: 
this  prince  removed  the  seat  of  government  to 
Moscow,  which  was  declared  the  capital  of  all 
the  Russias. 

1340.  XLIV.  Simeon, 

Surnamed  the  Superb,  son  of  Iwan  1. 

1353.  XLV.  IwAN  II. 

Interregnum. 

1360.  XLVI.  Dmitri  IV. ' 

Son  of  Constantine,  and  Prince  of  Souzdal, 
obtained  from  the  Khan  the  grand  principality: 
after  a  reign  of  two  years  he  was  deposed,  and 
the  throne  restored  to  the  rightful  heir. 

1362.  *  XLVIL  Dmitri  V. 

Surnamed  Donskoie;  he  was  son  of  Iwan  II.: 
he  reigned  twenty-six  years  with  glory,  but  he 
had  the  misfortune  to  see  Moscow  taken  and 
burnt  by  the  Tartars  in  1382. 

1389.  XLVIII.  Vassilei,  or  Basil  II. 

Son  of  Dmitri  Donskoie:  he  imposed  a  tax 
on  Novogorod. 


160 


SOVEREIGNS  OF  RUSSIA. 


A.  D. 

1425.  XLIX.  Vassilei,  or  Basil  III.  ^ 

Surnamed  Temnoi,  or  the  Blind:  under  his 
reign  the  first  coin  was  struck  in  Russia. 

1446.  L.  The  usurper,  Prince  Dmitri  Jourie- 

WITCH, 

Surnamed  Chimiaka,  occupied  the  throne 
only  a  few  months. 

1447.  Vassilei  is  reseated  on  the  throne, 

And  died  after  a  reign  of  thirty-seven  years. 


fifth  period. 

From  the  throwing  off  of  the  Tartar  yokCf  to  the  acces¬ 
sion  of  the  Romanow  family  to  the  throne, 

1462.  LI.  IwAN  III.  Vassileiwitch. 

Surnamed  the  Proud:  he  united  the  different 
principalities,  conquered  Novogorod,  shook  off 
the  yoke  of  the  Tartars,  and  exacted  tribute 
from  the  kingdom  of  Kasan. 

1505.  LII.  Vassilei  IV.  Iwanovitch. 

Surnamed  the  Courageous. 

1534.  LIII.  IwAN  IV.  Vassileiwitch; 

Surnamed  the  Threatening  Tzar:  he  con*» 
quered  the  kingdoms  of  Kasan  and  Astrakan; 
Siberia  was  also  subdued  in  his  reign. 


SOVEREIGNS  OF  RUSSIA. 


161 


A.  D. 

1584.  LIV.  Theodore  Iwanovitch 

Tzar :  with  him  expired  the  dynasty  of  llu- 
rik,  which  reigned  736  years. 

1598.  LV.  Boris, 

Feodorovitch  Godounov. 

1605.  LVI.  Theodore  II. 

Borisovitch :  he  was  strangled  by  order  of 
the  usurper  Otrepieo,  who  gave  himself  out  as 
Prince  Dmitri,  son  of  Tzar  I  wan  the  IV. 

1605.  LVII.  Dmitri, 

A  usurper;  reigned  eleven  months,  and  was 

killed. 

1606.  LVIII.  Vassili,  Iwanovitch  Chouisky. 

1610.  Interregnum. 


SIXTH  PERIOD. 

From  the  accession  of  the  Romanow  family,  to  the  pre¬ 
sent  time.  The  states  assembled  elect  a  Tzar. 

1613.  I.  Michael. 

He  reigned  thirty-two  years. 

1645.  ID  Alexis. 

He  increased  the  empife,  and  reigned  thirty 
years. 

VOL.  IL— 15 


162 


SOVEREIGNS  OF  RUSSIA. 


A.  D. 

1676. 

III.  Theodore  III. 

1682. 

IV. 

IwAN  AlEXIEVITCH  1  . 

.  >  reign  together. 

Peter  Alexievitch  ^  °  ° 

1689. 

’  V.  Peter  I. 

He  takes-  the  title  of  Emperor.  Posterity 
call  him  Peter  the  Great. 

1725. 

Vl.  Catherine  I. 

1727. 

VII.  Peter  H. 

Grandson  of  Peter  I. 

1730. 

VIH.  Anne  Iwanovna, 

Niece  of  Peter  I. 

1740. 

IX.  IWAN  II. 

He  is  proclaimed  Emperor  during  his  mino¬ 
rity,  and  died  in  the  same  year. 


1741.  X.  Elizabeth, 

Daughter  of  Peter  1. 

1761.  XL  Peter  III. 

Murdered. 

1762.  XII.'  Catherine  II. 

Wife  of  Peter  III:  she  succeeded  him,  and 
added  to  his  estates  the  Crimea,  Azof,  a  part  6f 
Kouban,  all  the  countries  between  the  Dnieper, 
the  Boug,  the  Dniester,  and  the  Black  Sea. 


SOVEREIGNS  OF  RUSSIA. 


163 


A.  D. 

1796. 

1801. 

1825.^ 


XIII.  Paul  I. 

Her  son,  murdered. 

XIV.  Alexander  I. 
Died  of  a  broken  heart. 

XV.  Nicholas  I. 
The  reigning  Emperor. 


164 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


ADDENDA. 


October  3d,  1837. 

Seven  years  have  elapsed  since  these  cur¬ 
sory  Remarks  on  the  state  of  Russia  were 
made  by  a  traveller,  who  wrote  to  a  friend  a 
summary  detail  of  the  different  objects  which 
presented  themselves  to  his  view ;  and  though 
not  without  sources  of  good  information  on 
the  spot,  has  given  at  the  best  but  a  very 
crude  and  hasty  sketch  of  the  system,  moral 
and  political,  of  that  overgrown  power.  The 
few  facts  of  interest,  which  came  within  the 
scope  of  what  may  be  called  a  familiar  cor¬ 
respondence,  have  only  the  merit  of  truth ;  if 
the  occasional  comments  should  be  deemed 
by  some  to  savour  of  prejudice  or  harshness, 
the  unimportance  of  the  writer  must  render 
them  perfectly  innocuous,  or  at  least  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  general  indifference. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


165 


The  nineteenth  century  commenced  with 
a  series  of  events  in  Europe,  so  wonderful 
and  so  appalling,  that  no  one  generation  since 
the  world  began  ever  witnessed  such  an  era. 
We,  who  have  lived  in  these  stirring  times, 
may  feel  that  we  have  seen  the  work  of  whole 
centuries  accomplished  during  our  own  short 
span  of  existence.  The  crumbling  of  a  throne, 
the  downfal  of  a  kingdom,  were  then  only 
accidents  of  daily  occurrence ;  the  civil  death 
of  a  reigning  family  was  pronounced  with  as 
little  ceremony,  and  often  with  more  levity, 
than  the  sentence  of  a  common  malefactor. 
A  gigantic  power  had  suddenly  arisen,  in 
defiance  of  every  obstacle,  which  for  a  short 
period  clenched  within  its  iron  grasp  the  des¬ 
tinies  of  civilized  Europe.  There  are  laws 
in  the  moral,  as  well  as  in  the  physical  world, 
which  are  sure  and  unerring:  excess  pro^ 
duces  ruin ;  the  abuse  of  power,  as  well  as 
the  abuse  of  health,  must  ultimately  recoil  on 
the  sinner. 

The  ambition  of  Napoleon  produced  its 
natural  fruits;  use  led  on  to  abuse,  abuse ded 
on  to  resistance;  the  oppressed  nations  rose 
at  last  en  masse,  and  hurled  him  from  his 
throne. 

F ifteen  years  of  superficial  tranquillity  had 
scarcely  allowed  to  disheartened  Europe  suf- 
15^ 


166 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


ficient  time  to  forget  the  chains  under  which 
she  had  lately  groaned,  when  a  fresh  volcano, 
whose  subterraneous  fermentation  had  been 
scarcely  audible,  burst  forth  at  once  and  filled 
the  minds  of  men  with  panic  and  confusion. 

It  was  only  a  few  months  preceding  this 
catastrophe,  that  I  was  residing  in  St.  Pe¬ 
tersburg  ;  and  when  I  now  look  round  at  the 
vast  changes  which,  during  the  last  seven 
years,  this  event  has  produced  in  European 
policy,  it  is  natural  to  glance  at  the  rapid 
progress  which,  owing  to  inevitable  circum¬ 
stances,  Russia  has  been  enabled  to  make 
during  that  short  period,  both  in  moral  im¬ 
provement  and  formidable  strength. 

In  1830,  Russia  had  merely  the  wreck  of 
an  army — her  guards  and  garrisons.  In 
1837,  we  may  look  at  the  immense  military 
display  at  Wosnesensk,*  merely  for  amuse¬ 
ment,  while  other  armies  are  employed  in 
Circassia  and  Poland,  or  quartered  in  other 
parts  of  the  empire,  without  reckoning  the 
distant  hordes  of  Cossacks,  which  may  be 

*  I  may  here  advert  to  a  scandalous  calumny  which  has  readily 
found  its  way  into  the  English  and  French  papers,  that  during 
the  continuance  of  this  carnp  at  Wosnesensk,  six  hundred  young 
girls  had  been  taken  away  from  their  families  in  the  Polish  pro¬ 
vinces,  and  brought  to  the  camp  to  contribute  to  the  pleasures  of 
the  soldiery.  This  gross  statement  I  anqi  able  to  contradict  from 
the  most  undeniable  autherity. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


167 


summoned  at  a  moment’s  notice.  In  1830, 
Russia  was  far  behind  the  nations  of  Europe 
in  all  kinds  of  manufacture  or  industrial  pro¬ 
duce.  In  1837,  we  may  view  the  improve¬ 
ments  in  those  branches  made  at  Moscow, 
and  the  different  governments  in  that  direc¬ 
tion,  -Which  permit  a  repeal  of  duties  on  fo¬ 
reign  goods,  and  maintain  an  ability  to  com¬ 
pete  with  them.  This  statement  may,  per¬ 
haps,  be  exaggerated,  but  the  start  given  to 
industry  and  mechanical  knowledge  is  in¬ 
contestable.  In  1830,  every  thing  I  saw  con¬ 
vinced  me  that  Russia  had  certainly  not  the 
power,  perhaps  not  even  the  wish,  to  increase 
her  conquests.  In  1837,  what  do  we  see? 
A  powerful  fleet  in  the  Black  Sea*  a  war 
in  Circassia;  the  treaty  of  Unkiarskellessi, 
which  gives  her  the  key  of  the  Dardanelles; 
and  an  induence  obtained  with  the  Porte, 
which  no  European  diplomacy  can  overtarn. 
Russia  has  now  established  herself  in  the 
midst  of  the  divided  populations  of  Anatolia, 
Persia,  Georgia,  and  the  Caucasus:  she  ocr 
cupies  almost  the  entire  tract  of  country 
which  separates  the  Caspian  from  the  Black 
Sea,  and  guards  with  vigilance  the  two  pas¬ 
sages  of  the  Caucasus.  Here  is  the  great  se¬ 
cret  of  her  jealousy  about  the  navigation  of 
that  sea :  she  is  sensible  of  the  progressing 


168 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


improvement  of  her  commerce ;  and  her  pre¬ 
sent  views  will  not  be  satisfied,  till  she  has 
monopolized  the  whole  trade  with  the  coasts 
of  the  Black  and  Caspian  Seas,  to  the  utter 
exclusion  of  English  interference.  To  what 
is  this  hostile  spirit  attributable  ?  To  the  fo¬ 
reign  policy  adopted  by  England  ever  since 
the  accession  of  the  present  government. 

If  I  may  have  been  led  into  a  false  concep¬ 
tion  on  some  points,  I  had  still  good  grounds 
for  my  opinion  at  that  period,  and  the  same 
conviction  was  then  felt  by  heads  much  wiser 
and  better  informed  than  mine.  As  far  as 
regards  the  internal  improvements  in  Russia, 
they  are  highly  creditable  to  the  fostering 
hand  of  the  Emperor,  and  the  rising  indus¬ 
try  and  perseverance  of  the  inhabitants;  but 
my  impression  of  the  state  of  the  Russian 
armies  in  1830  was  confirmed  unequivocally 
even  two  years  later,  by  the  long  and  tedious 
struggle  with  the  Poles,  when  all  the  dis¬ 
posable  force  of  the  empire  was  arrayed 
against  the  unfortunate  city  of  Warsaw,  and 
could  only  succeed,  after  months  of  fruitless 
warfare,  in  gaining  possession  of  that  capital. 

Now  the  military  colonies  have  replenished 
those  ranks  w^hich  were  wasted  by  the  plague 
and  the  Turkish  campaign,  every  effort  has 
been  made  to  place  the  army  on  a  most  for- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


169 


midable  footing.  The  critical  state  of  Eu¬ 
rope  was  a  sufficient  pretext,  while  Austria 
and  Prussia  were  taking  the  same  effective 
measures;  but,  now  that  a  general  disarma¬ 
ment  has  been  gradually  adopted,  Russia  re¬ 
mains  alone  at  the  full  stretch  of  her  war 
establishment,  without  an  idea  of  reduction, 
till  she  has  accomplished  her  own  purposes. 

The  power  to  extend  her  conquests,  I  am 
bound  to  confess,  has  been  wonderfully  aug¬ 
mented  during  this  important  period.  Next 
may  come  the  inquiry,  how  far  the  wish  of 
employing  that  power,  tp  the  detriment  of 
her  neighbours,  may  prevail  in  the  present 
policy  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia.  He  has 
taken  haughty  strides  of  late;  he  has  kept 
the  even  tenor  of  his  way,  unbiassed  by 
French  cajolery,  and  unintimidated  by  Eng¬ 
lish  menace.  It  would  seem  that  dreams  of 
conquest  are  revived;  that  a  captious  jea¬ 
lousy  of  foreign  powers  is  at  work;  that  a 
selfish  occupation  of  the  Black  Sea,  to  the 
exclusion  of  other  flags,  is  contemplated; 
while  Constantinople  is  held  in  pawn  for  the 
good  conduct  of  Europe,  and  ready  to  be 
seized  on  the  first  demonstration  of  a  hostile 
feeling  in  that  quarter.  These  are  grave 
facts  staring  us  in  the  face,  and,  if  we  decide 
at  once,  that  with  the  power  of  aggrandize- 


170 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


ment  the  will  also  has  increased,  it  may  be 
as  well  then  to  seek  the  motives  which  have 
brought  about  such  a  change  in  the  hitherto 
pacific  character  of  Nicholas. 

The  Revolution  of  July  in  France,  and  the 
Reform  Bill  in  England,  nearly  simultaneous 
as  to  date;  and  similar  in  their  tendencies,  up¬ 
rooted  two  cabinets  which  had  been  leagued 
in  amity  and  peace  with  Russia,  and  gave 
the  first  shock  to  that  feeling  of  confidence 
which  had  hitherto  bound  her  to  those  coun¬ 
tries.  I  may  say  two  cabinets,  because,  though 
the  Reform  Bill  was  brought  in  by  the  Whigs, 
it  was  the  popular  clamour  which  called  for 
it  that  unseated  the  Tory  government,  though 
they  nominally  went  out  on  the  question  of 
the  civil  list.  As  far  as  England  was  con¬ 
cerned,  this  alteration  might  at  first  only 
have  been  considered  by  Russia  as  the  unex¬ 
pected  coolness  of  an  old  friend  who  had  sud¬ 
denly  differed  in  opinion  upon  certain  topics ; 
it  might  have  been  viewed  with  regret,  but 
not  with  anger. 

With  regard  to  France,  the  change  was  of 
a  more  alarming  nature.  A  friend  had  been 
expelled  from  his  home ;  another  was  in  his 
place,  unsanctioned  by  the  law  of  succession ; 
moreover,  his  house  was  on  fire,  and  threat¬ 
ened  to  consume  those  of  his  neighbours. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


171 


Russia,  Austria,  and  Prussia,  looked  on 
with  deep  concern  at  the  menacing  aspect 
suddenly  assumed  by  France,  who,  since 
1815,  had  formed  part  of  the  great  confede¬ 
ration  for  maintaining  peace  in  Europe.  All 
their  old  apprehensions  were  revived ;  every 
thing ^eemed  to  prognosticate  a  second  ca¬ 
reer  of  revolutionary  aggression;  the  war  of 
opinion  w’as  to  be  decided  over  again;  and 
the  battle  of  Waterloo  had  been  fought  in 
vain.  Urged  by  a  wish  to  pacify  excitement 
in  France,  and  avert  a  collision  in  Europe, 
the  allied  sovereigns,  stunned  by  this  sud¬ 
den  blow,  one  after  another  acknowledged  a 
ruler  whom  that  nation  professed  to  select  as 
the  object  of  its  choice. 

No  sooner  had  the  first  crash  of  the  tem¬ 
pest  appeared  to  subside  in  France,  and  the 
surrounding  world  begun  to  recover  from  the 
panic,  then  a  fresh  storm  broke  out  in  Bel¬ 
gium,  and,  in  defiance  of  all  the  treaties  rati¬ 
fied  at  Vienna,  a  near  ally  of  Russia  was 
deprived  of  one  half  of  his  kingdom.  Nicho¬ 
las  was  indignant;  the  general  alarm  was  in¬ 
creased  tenfold;  each  turned  to  his  neighbour, 
and  said,  “  A  stitch  in  time  might  have  saved 
nine;”  but  no  one  moved, and  that  revolution 
also  was  accomplished, 

France,  in  the  mean  time,  though  profess- 


172 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


ing  peace  to  all  the  world,  was  not  idle ;  the 
propagandists  continued  their  work,  and, 
having  gained  their  point  at  Brussels,  set 
about  fanning  the  embers  of  sedition  where- 
ever  their  insidious  doctrines  were  likely  to 
prevail.  Every  post  brought  the  news  of 
fresh  commotions,  excited  by  their  emissaries 
abroad ;  Brunswick,  Dresden,  Berlin,  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  were  successively  the  scenes  of 
riot  and  disorder,  which  filled  the  breast  of 
every  reigning  sovereign  with  apprehension 
and  dismay. 

Mortified  as  the  Emperor  Nicholas  un¬ 
doubtedly  was,  by  the  territorial  losses  of  one 
so  nearly  related  to  him  as  the  King  of  Hol¬ 
land,  and  alarmed  by  the  progress  of  the 
same  principles  in  other  countries,  this  mor¬ 
tification  and  alarm  were  soon  turned  to  ex¬ 
asperation,  when  the  infection  had  reached  his 
own  subjects,  and  the  machinations  of  French 
propagandism  had  seduced  the  unfortunate 
Poles  with  promises  of  assistance,  to  throw  off 
the  Russian  yoke,  and  openly  declare  war  in 
support  of  their  own  independence.  These 
promises,  as  we  know,  were  in  the  sequel  for¬ 
gotten  or  evaded,  and  the  insurgents  left  to 
pay  the  penalty  of  their  ilhconcerted  revolt. 

It  may  here  not  be  amiss  to  mention  that, 
when  the  incorporation  of  Poland  with  Rus- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


173 


sian  empire  was  adjusted  at  the  congress  in 
1815,  the  Emperor  Alexander  was  anxious 
to  bestow  on  this  new  portion  of  his  subjects 
the  boon  of  a  very  liberal  constitution;  but 
the  great  arbiters  of  the  day,  and  particular¬ 
ly  our  Lord  Castlereagh,  viewed  the  matter 
in  a  different  light,  and  the  beneficent  inten¬ 
tions  of  the  Emperor  were  frustrated  by  the 
more  absolute  principles  which  prevailed 
with  the  other  members  of  that  assembly. 

Thus  deeply  wounded  in  his  interest  at 
home,  Nicholas  could  not  be  insensible  to 
the  danger  without,  which  was  hourly  sur¬ 
rounding  those  powers  who  remained  stanch 
and  firm  to  the  old  system.  The  day  for 
open  hostilities  had  passed  away ;  no  resource 
was  left  but  vigorous  measures  of  prevention 
for  the  future;  every  nerve  was  strained  to 
increase  the  military  force  of  the  empire,  and 
bonds  of  amity  were  drawn  closer  between 
those  whom  a  common  interest  united  in  one 
view  of  stemming  the  farther  progress  of  this 
wide-spreading  mischief.  But  a  serious  de¬ 
falcation  from  this  general  league  had  now 
become  apparent  in  a  change  of  ministry  in 
England,  which  openly  announced  that  the 
objects  and  principles  of  the  new  cabinet  were 
directly  at  variance  with  those  which  had 

VOL.  II. — 16 


174 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


governed  their  predecessors.  Lord  Grey  had 
entered  into  office  with  the  device  of  Reform, 
retrenchment,  and  peace,  engraved  on  his 
banner.  Taking,  perhaps,  for  his  own  in¬ 
terest  a  politic,  but  certainly  an  unfair  ad¬ 
vantage  of  the  times,  he  thus  flung  back  in 
the  teeth  of  a  Tory  administration  that  long 
series  of  war  and  expense,  which  they  in 
their  time  had  wisely  counselled,  during  a 
struggle  which  had  fiercely  menaced  the  vital 
existence  of  the  country,  and  of  which,  when 
brought  to  a  glorious  conclusion,  he  was  now 
ready  to  make  a  source  of  stigma  to  them, 
and  a  stepping-stone  to  himself. 

Distress  and  discontent  were  prevalent  in 
the  country ;  the  minds  of  men,  tired  of  the 
old  beaten  track  of  government,  were  ready 
for  any  change,  which  either  statesman  or 
empiric  might  boldly  suggest;  the  Reform 
Bill  was  carried,  the  rotten  boroughs  were 
abolished,  the  people  clapped  their  hands 
and  said,  ‘‘We  have  now  a  fair  representation 
in  parliament,  no  private  influence  shall  now 
again  control  a  vote.”  Five  years  have  not 
elapsed,  and  a  Leviathan  boroughmonger  has 
arisen  out  of  this  mass  of  pw'ity,  who  can 
bring  in  his  train  forty  men,  stout  and  true, 
to  vote  at  his  beck,  and  attempt  the  overthrow 
of  the  British  constitution. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR.  175 

To  return  to  foreign  polic}^  This  change 
in  the  English  cabinet  was,  to  say  the  least, 
very  unwelcome  to  the  three  great  powers, 
Austria,  Russia,  and  Prussia.  It  must  be  ob¬ 
vious  to  all,  that  the  Duke  of  Wellington, 
who  had  hitherto  gone  hand  in  hand  with  the 
soverMgns  of  Europe,  in  the  great  work  of 
smoothing  difficulties,  and  harmonizing  in¬ 
terests,  after  the  overthrow  of  Napoleon, 
must  have  inspired  them  with  great  personal 
friendship,  as  well  as  implicit  confidence  in 
an}^  line  of  conduct  which  he  might  deem 
generally  expedient  at  this  momentous  crisis. 
This  tie  was,  moreover,  strengthened  by  a 
conviction  of  the  honesty  and  frankness  of 
his  character,  which  had  become  proverbial, 
and  from  which,  they  knew  by  experience, 
he  had  never  swerved  during  the  most  im¬ 
portant  and  intricate  negotiations.  It  was 
pleasantly  remarked  of  his  Grace,  by  one 
who  knew  him  at  Vienna,  that  he  had  com¬ 
pletely  misled  the  most  subtle  diplomatists  at 
the  Congress,  by  always  stating  exactly  what 
he  really  thought. 

Deprived  at  once  of  this  able  counsellor 
and  co-operator — finding  in  his  place  new 
men,  novices  in  business,  ignorant  of  the 


176 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


state  of  Europe,  and  above  all,  ruled  by  the 
new-fangled  ideas  of  the  day,  which  it  was 
their  own  object  to  check  and  keep  within 
proper  bounds, .  the  Allied  Soverigns  soon 
discovered  in  England  rather  a  partisan  of 
revolutionary  France,  than  the  old  ally,  who 
had  fought  and  bled  in  the  same  legitimate 
cause  with  themselves.  Louis  Philippe, 
whose  new  position  between  the  republicans 
on  one  side,  and  the  Carlists  on  the  other, 
was  still  awfully  insecure,  sought  eagerly  the 
aid  of  the  British  cabinet  to  keep  him  in  his 
seat.  Independently  of  the  weight  which 
such  a  formidable  power  might  give  to  his 
pretensions,  he  flattered  himself  that  the 
more  than  liberal  doctrines  proclaimed  by 
the  Whigs  might  be  palatable  to  one  class  of 
his  new  subjects ;  while  the  known  aristocratic 
feeling  which  still  reigns  in  England,  inde¬ 
pendently  of  her  ministers,  might  cherish  a 
hope  in  the  other  class,  that,  if  not  a  second 
Monck,  he  might  still  adhere  to  the  main 
principles  of  the  old  monarchy.  It  w^as,  in 
fact,  the  commencement  of  that  juste  milieu 
system  which  has  since  been  maintained  by 
that  sovereign  with  so  much  talent,  and  un¬ 
der  such  peculiarly  trying  circumstances. 

With  this  view,  and  to  cement  farther  that 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


177 


alliance,  Prince  Talleyrand  was  despatched 
as  Ambassador  to  London.  I  remember  the 
sensation  which  the  arrival  of  that  venerable 
statesman  created  in  society,  and  not  less  the 
answer  made  to  me  by  one  of  his  friends, 
when  I  asked  him  the  object  of  the  Prince’s 
missiop^:  “  He  is  merely  come  for  three  or 
four  months,  jnst  to  settle  the  Belgian  Ques¬ 
tion,  make  a  few  political  arrangements  be¬ 
tween  the  two  countries,  and  he  then  will 
return  to  Paris.” 

Oh,  Prince  Talleyrand!  the  Belgian  Ques¬ 
tion  in  three  months!! 

The  proposal  was  then  made  for  a  confe¬ 
rence  on  that  subject. 

It  is  now  six  years  since  the  Representa¬ 
tives  of  Five  Great  Powers  assembled  round 
a  table  in  Downing  Street,  to  adjust  a  ques¬ 
tion  which,  from  previous  arrangements  be¬ 
tween  the  parties  interested,  had  been  alrea¬ 
dy  reduced  into  a  comparatively  trifling  com-^ 
pass.  No  pains  were  spared  to  give  all 
possible  eclat  to  this  scenic  representation; 
protocol  succeeded  protocol  in  endless  varie-- 
ty ;  and  the  dramatic  effect  was  considerably 
heightened,  by  an  English  embargo  on  Dutch 
ships,  and  two  French  invasions,  the  whole 
concluding  with  a  magnificent  display  of 
16^ 


178 


CITY  OF  THE  CZ4R. 


rockets  and  fire-works  before  the  citadel  of 
Antwerp. 

Here,  as  nsual  in  these  liberal  days,  the 
strong  were  marshalled  against  the  weak; 
but  William  of  Nassau  remained  calm  and 
unmoved  in  front  of  his  oppressors,  and  not 
a  step  was  gained  in  the  adjustment  of  the 
question.  Tired  at  last  with  fruitless  nego¬ 
tiations,  which  were  at  one  time  foiled  by  the 
wiles  of  Talleyrand,  at  another  thwarted  by 
the  inconsistencies  of  our  Foreign  Secretary, 
the  members  of  this  conference  separated  in 
1833,  and  the  discussions  have  never  since 
been  resumed. 

The  altered  policy  of  our  Foreign  Office 
was  now  clearly  unfolded  to  Europe,  and  if 
Nicholas,  before  this  elucidation,  had  encou¬ 
raged  any  hope  that  England  might  oppose 
the  progress  of  revolution,  he  had  now  full 
means  to  ascertain  her  tendency  to  encou¬ 
rage  it.  Wounded  as  he  was  by  the  harsh¬ 
ness  which,  during  these  conferences,  had 
been  shown  by  her  to  the  cause  of  Holland ; 
piqued,, perhaps,  by  cavalier  allusions  made 
to  his  own  representatives,  and  foiled  in  his 
objects  by  the  result,  it  is  easy  to  account  for 
an  ominous  expression,  which  ha§  since  been 
too  fatally  verified. 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


179 


“  La  Turqui  maintenant  sera  notre  Belgique,” 

All  parties  quitted  the  conference  with 
equal  feelings  of  discontent;  the  irritation 
was,  perhaps,  greater  on  the  part  of  Russia, 
but  the  observation  dropped  at  the  time  from 
another  official  quarter,  “  Ma  vocation  est 
finie,^ais  la  provocation  reste,”  is  indubita¬ 
ble  proof  of  other  disappointments. 

A  government  which  for  certain  objects 
declares  war  at  once  is  sure  to  meet  the  ene¬ 
my  on  equal  terms ;  but  a  government  which 
by  its  conduct  only  excites  suspicion,  which 
takes  every  opportunity  of  showing  an  ini¬ 
mical  secret  feeling,  without  coming  to  ex¬ 
tremities,  furnishes,  unwarily,  arms  against 
itself;  the  enemy  watches  all  its  movements 
with  a  jealous  eye;  acts,  even  innocent  in 
themselves,  are  misinterpreted ;  and  when  at 
last  imperious  circumstances  bring  on  a  rup¬ 
ture,  it  finds  to  its  cost  that  every  prepara¬ 
tion  has  been  made,  every  result  anticipated, 
and  the  enemy,  on  his  guard  at  all  points,  is 
ready  for  the  conflict. 

On  these  unequal  terms  shall  we  probably 
at  no  distant  day  be,  forced  to  meet  Russia 
in  the  East,  for  her  politics  are  changed  since 
1830,  and  her  means  enormously  increased. 


180 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


The  foreign  policy  of  our  Whig  government, 
which  has  been  hitherto  as  unsuccessful  in 
other  countries  as  it  has  been  inconsistent ; 
which  during  the  last  seven  years  has  made 
us  almost  the  laughing-stock  of  Europe,  has 
now,  amongst  other  fatal  mistakes,  at  length’ 
placed  us  in  this  position  with  regard  to 
Russia  and  the  Black  Sea.  The  fleet  at 
Sebastopol  is  always  ready  at  the  shortest 
notice  to  receive  on  board  a  division  of  six¬ 
teen  thousand  men,  which  is  purposely  can¬ 
toned  in  the  neighbourhood.  This  embarka¬ 
tion  may  be  completed  in  the  space  of  twice 
twenty-four  hours;  the  squadron  may  weigh 
anchor  on  the  following  day;  and  as  a  suc¬ 
cession  of  northerly  winds  prevails  almost 
constantly  in  the  Black  Sea,  this  expedition 
may,  on  a  moderate  calculation,  arrive  in 
forty-eight  hours  more  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Bosphorus.  We  have  only  then  to  start  the 
supposition,  not  very  improbable,  that  a  po¬ 
litical  difference  with  England,  such,  for  in¬ 
stance,  as  the  late  high  words  about  the 
Vixen,  or  a  dispute  of  a  more  general  nature 
with  the  Maritime  Powers  of  Europe  com¬ 
bined,  should  induce  the  Emperor  to  make 
this  hostile  demonstration.  Such  an  expe¬ 
dition  would  arrive  in  five  days  at  its  desti- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


181 


nation,  that  is,  long  before  the  Ambassadors 
of  France  and  England  at  the  Porte  could 
receive  informS^tion  of  the  order  being  issued. 
In  the  present  crippled  and  debased  state  of 
the  Turkish  empire,  the  powers  of  Europe 
would  have  no  chance  of  competing  with 
Russija-in  those  waters.  Let  a  collision  once 
take  place,  and  the  immediate  result  would 
he,  the  seizure  of  the  Dardanelles,  and  the 
occupation  of  Constantinople  by  that  power. 

A  military  traveller  of  note,  whose  opinion 
on  such  subjects  is  entitled  to  great  weight, 
has  lately  visited  the  Crimea,  and  published 
his  own  observations  on  this  very  interesting 
matter.  He  relates  as  an  eye-witness  the  fol¬ 
lowing  remarks,  which  he  made  during  his 
stay  at  Constantinople. 

The  Turks  themselves  have  always  been 
numerically  insignificant,  when  compared 
with  the  population  of  those  territories  which 
have  submitted  to  their  sway;  and  their  power 
has  from  that  circumstance  been  always  un¬ 
defined,  wavering,  and  precarious.  Haughty 
and  overbearing,  they  have  never  deigned  to 
admit  their  trembling  and  despised  vassals 
to  any  participation  in  their  own  grandeur ; 
but,  treating  them  as  conquered  enemies, 
they  have  unceasingly  made  them  feel  all 


182 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


the  caprice  and  tyranny  of  their  iron  yoke. 
This  nation  now  presents  the  extraordinary 
picture  of  three  millions  of  Turks,  including 
both  sexes,  who  are  scattered  over  an  im¬ 
mense  extent  of  territory,  intermingled  with 
a  Christian  population  more  numerous  than 
themselves,  which  is  disaffected  to  their  au¬ 
thority,  and  bordered  by  an  Arabian  popu¬ 
lation  which  is  conscious  of  its  own  superi¬ 
ority. 

The  Ottoman  empire,  already  weakened 
and  dismembered  by  the  separation  of  those 
states  now  ruled  by  Mehemet  Ali,  is  actual¬ 
ly  reduced  at  the  present  day  to  the  city  of 
Constantinople,  and  the  surrounding  pro¬ 
vinces,  where  the  Turkish  population  is  the 
most  thickly  concentred.  Under  such  dis¬ 
paraging  circumstances  it  is  impossible  that 
the  Grand  Signior  can  maintain  even  his  pre¬ 
sent  precarious  existence  without  a  foreign 
protection ;  he  must  therefore  make  a  virtue 
of  necessity,  and  bind  himself  up  implicitly 
with  one  of  the  two  systems  into  which  Eu¬ 
rope  is  now  divided.  On  the  one  side  is  Rus¬ 
sia,  on  the  other  are  the  maritime  powxrs,  to 
which  perhaps  may  be  added  Austria,  form¬ 
ing  what  maybe  called  the  Western  Alliance. 
At  the  first  suspicion  of  a  hostile  movement 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


183 


from  the  fleets  of  England  and  France,  a 
Russian  squadron,  with  tw^elve  thousand 
troops  on  board,  will  arrive  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Bosphorus;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  a 
corps  of  sixty  thousand  men  will  pass  the 
Bal.can  and  take  possession  of  Adrianople. 
In  the^ean  time  the  cabinets  of  London  and 
Paris  will  become  the  scenes  of  busy  nego¬ 
tiations  ;  each  will  meet  and  deliberate ;  notes 
will  be  interchanged,  menaces,  loud  but  not 
deepj  will  be  uttered ;  but  before  any  decisive 
steps  can  be  even  planned  in  that  distant 
quarter,  the  objects  of  Russia  will  be  accom¬ 
plished,  and  the  straits  of  Constantinople  ir¬ 
remediably  closed. 

The  Emperor,  nevertheless,  is  too  wdse,  if 
left  to  himself,  to  accelerate  a  premature  pos¬ 
session  of  Constantinople,  which  might  be 
prejudicial  to  the  interests  of  Southern  Rus¬ 
sia,  inasmuch  as  it  w^ould  interfere  with  the 
great  plans  of  improvement,  and  the  explora¬ 
tion  of  wealth,  which  are  gradually  being  ac¬ 
complished  in  those  provinces.  The  only 
object  of  Russia  for  the  moment  is  the  free 
and  uninterrupted  navigation  for  herself  of 
the  Black  Sea. 

If  the  passages  of  the  Bosphorus  and  the 
Hellespont  were  one  or  two  leagues  in 


184 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


breadtli,  there  are  few  sensible  men  at  St. 
Petersburg  who  would  really  advocate  the 
conquest  of  Constantinople ;  but  as  those  nar¬ 
row  straits  are  absolutely  the  gates  of  an  en¬ 
tire  sea,  their  importance  to  the  possessor  is 
beyond  all  calculation.  If  the  Russians  once 
seize  upon  the  Dardanelles,  all  Europe  com¬ 
bined  could  never  rescue  them  from  their 
grasp,  and  as  it  seems  indubitable  that  this 
prize  must  be  gained  by  the  first  power 
which  arrives  on  the  spot,  their  geographical 
position  sufficiently  indicates  their  chance  of 
success. 

Europe  then  must  make  up  her  mind  to 
view  with  resignation  the  preponderating  in¬ 
fluence  of  Russia  at  Constantinople,  and  to 
abide  by  the  conviction  that  she  can  occupy 
that  capital  when  she  pleases;  but  at  the 
same  time  let  her  consider  that  Russia  has 
no  wish  to  come  to  those  extremities,  unless 
propelled  by  the  force  of  extraneous  circum¬ 
stances.  The  great  object  of  her  present  po¬ 
licy  is  to  defer  as  long  as  possible  that  con¬ 
quest  which  is  always  within  her  reach,  and 
which  only  the  interference  of  an  enemy  will 
force  her,  in  spite  of  her  own  interests,  to  ac¬ 
celerate. 

The  accuracy  of  this  statement  is  undeni- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


185 


able;  it  is  of  high  import  to  English  com¬ 
mercial  interests:  but  what  does  it  prove? 
That  Russia  has  for  the  last  six  years  been 
preparing  this  great  denouement^  as  a  coun¬ 
terbalancing  power  to  the  dereliction  of  those 
allies,  who  have  wandered  away  from  the 
paths /of  amity  which,  in  1815,  identified  the 
interests  of  the  great  European  family,  in  or¬ 
der  to  follow  and  promote  those  ^  ultra-liberal 
maxims,  which  she  perhaps  justly  considers 
as  hostile  to  her  own  welfare.  With  regard 
to  France,  as  her  deviation  was  at  first  the 
most  Auolent  and  fearless,  it  has  perhaps  soft¬ 
ened  down  into  a  policy,  much  more  mode¬ 
rate  and  conciliating  than  could  have  been 
expected.  Ever  since  the  time  of  Cassimir 
Perrier,  who  thought  he  had  struck  all  Eu¬ 
rope  with  awe  by  sending  a  handful  of  troops 
to  Ancona,  the  successive  cabinets  of  Louis 
Philippe  seem,  whatever  may  have  been 
their  other  inconsistencies,  to  have  been  uni¬ 
formly  animated  with  a  sincere  wish  of  main¬ 
taining  peace  in  Europe;  and  however  peo¬ 
ple  may  differ  as  to  the  merits  of  that  sove¬ 
reign,  it  is  only  justice  to  allow  that  the  ci¬ 
vilized  world  must  owe  to  him  an  imperish¬ 
able  obligation  on  that  score. 

With  respect  to  the  English  cabinet,  much 
•  VOL.  II.— 17 


186 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAK. 


more  loud  in  its  proclamation  of  the  same 
sentiments,  it  seems  to  have  taken  advantage 
of  the  generally  pacific  feelings  which  exist¬ 
ed  in  Europe,  to  provoke  by  its  meddling 
policy,  and  its  captions  remonstrances,  a  to¬ 
tally  different  system.  God  knows,  the 
Whigs  did  not  want  a  war  to  increase  their 
other  embarrassments,  but  they  had  risen  to 
power  under  formal  pledges  of  adherence  to 
certain  popular  doctrines,  and  they  deemed 
it  necessary,  for  the  maintenance  of  their  con¬ 
sistency,  or  perhaps  of  their  places,  to  make 
their  foreign  policy  also  notorious  by  its  bias 
towards  what  are  now  called  liberal  princi¬ 
ples.  Every  one  who  reads  a  newspaper, 
m.ay  judge  how  far  their  interference  in  the 
affairs  of  Spain  and  Portugal  has  contributed  ' 
to  their  own  credit  or  the  national  glory ;  but, 
as  far  as  our  intercourse  with  those  countries 
is  concerned,  the  result  has  been,  that,  na¬ 
tionally  speaking,  we  are  become  the  objects 
of  dislike  in  one,  and  almost  of  assassination 
in  the  other.  When  Prince  Talleyrand  was 
once  asked  in  England  the  meaning  of  the 
word,  non-intervention.,  which  was  in  such 
daily  use  at  the  Conference,  he  replied, 

C’est  un  mot  oeconomique,  philosophique, 
et  politique,  qui  signifie  a  peu  pres  interven- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


187 


tion,”  and  that  reading  of  the  word,  coming 
at  once  from  such  high  authority,  seems  to 
have  since  been  carefully  preserved  in  the 
dictionaries  of  Downing  Street.^ 

The  conduct  towards  Russia  has  been  dif¬ 
ferent;  there  was  no  room  for  non-intervention 
ther^  but  a  malus  animus  was  suffered  to 
transpire,  which,  without  giving  positive  of¬ 
fence,  kept  up  an  incessant  irritation.  The 
unpleasant  discussions  at  the  Conference — 
the  oppression  of  Holland — the  approbation 
of  the  Poles— the  language  encouraged  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  at  times  breathing  the 
most  personal  invectives  against  the  Empe¬ 
ror,  from  those  who  were  stanch  supporters 
of  the  government, — the  attacks  in  newspa¬ 
pers,  which  were  openly  considered  its  or¬ 
gans;  in  short,  a  war  of  coups  depin gleSj^ 
which  drew  no  blood,  but  caused  a  fester, 
were  all  sufficient  to  create  alarm,  and  excite 
the  Emperor  to  take  those  measures  of  pre- 

*  A  civil  war  has  since  broken  out  in  Canada,  and  it  is  fortu¬ 
nate  for  English  interests,,  that  the  American  government  has 
show’n  a  more  just  definition  of  this  expression  tlian  the  British 
cabinet  has  done  in  Europe.  In  a  proclamation  just  issued  by 
Governor  Tenison,  of  Vermont,  he  gives  the  following  friendly 
assurance  and  taunting  lesson  to  England ; — “  It  is  obvious,  that, 
as  a  nation,  wo  liavc  no  riglit  to  intermeddle  with  the  constitution 
of  any  neighbouring  power.” 


188 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


caution  which,  we  now  see  so  studiously  pre¬ 
pared  against  us  in  the  East.  A  well  known 
character  said  to  me  not  three  years  ago  in 
Paris,  Russia  is  your  old  ally,  and  under 
the  Duke’s  government,  convinced  as  we  are 
of  the  rectitude  of  his  intentions,  and  the  ho¬ 
nour  of  his  character,  there  are  no  facilities 
we  would  not  give,  no  sacrifices  we  would 
not  make,  to  cement  that  alliance ;  but  under 
your  present  rulers,  we  are  every  where  held 
up  to  odium  and  suspicion,  as  if  the  convic¬ 
tion  that  you  had  unjustly  deserted  an  old 
friend,  only  made  you  more  anxious  to  injure 
and  traduce  her  for  your  own  justification.” 

It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  with  a  view  of 
courting  the  Anglo-Polish  party  in  the  House 
of  Commons,  and  the  ultra-liberal  party  in 
the  country,  a  feeling  of  rancour  against  Rus¬ 
sia  has  been  openly  encouraged  in  England 
by  the  government,  as  a  proof  of  their  own 
attachment  to  the  cause  of  liberty;  but  this 
pandering  to  popular  clamour  will  have  cost 
the  nation  dear,  if  it  has  raised  us  up  a  formi¬ 
dable  enemy,  who  only  waits  a  convenient 
moment  to  show  his  resentment.  A  war  of 
words  is  unworthy  of  a  great  nation,  and  it 
is,  to  say  the  least,  impolitic  to  irritate  the 
feelings  of  other  powers,  even  though  the  re- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


189 


cep  lions  in  Downing  Street  may  have  failed 
to  conciliate  their  representatives. 

The  tranquillity  which  has  prevailed  in 
Europe  since  July,  1830,  may  be  attributed 
much  less  to  the  friendly  dispositions  of  the 
different  cabinets,  than  to  the  awful  convic¬ 
tion  of^the  consequences  which  might  result 
from  the  first  cannon  shot  fired  on  the  Con¬ 
tinent.  Various  causes  of  discontent  have 
arisen  within  this  period,  hut  a  dread  of  those 
territorial  changes,  which  a  general  confla¬ 
gration  might  produce,  has  operated  so^ 
strongly  on  all  sides,  that  every  effort  has- 
been  instantly  directed  to  sooth  or  repress 
any  open  demonstration  of  a  warlike  ten¬ 
dency.  This  suspicious  peace,  or  more  pro¬ 
perly  speaking,  this  armed  truce,  while  it 
bound  the  powers  in  Europe  to  a  strict  line 
of  inoffensive  conduct  towards  each  other, 
has  been  silently  used  by  distant  Russia,  in 
preparing  that  chess-board  in  the  East,  on 
which  her  game  of  domination  is  hencefor¬ 
ward  to  be  skilfully  played.  If,  in  the  be¬ 
ginning  of  this  century,  any  man  had'  ven¬ 
tured  to  predict,  that  in  the  year  1837  Rus¬ 
sia  would  virtually  possess  the  Dardanelles  j 
would  have  advanced  into  Persia  and  Asia 
Minor ;  would  be  the  mistress  of  a  powerful 
17* 


190 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


fleet  in  the  Black  Sea,  ready  at  all  times  to 
sail  into  the  Mediterranean ;  would  have  sub¬ 
jected  the  Polish  nation ;  would  lay  her  hands 
on  the  principalities ;  would  hold  Constanti¬ 
nople  in  her  grasp ;  would  have  united  her 
co-religionists  against  the  authority  of  Aus¬ 
tria,  and  demanded  an  interference  in  the  af¬ 
fairs  of  Cracow ;  he  would  have  been  treated 
as  a  fool  or  a  visionary :  and  yet  is  not  this 
the  picture  which  her  geographical  position 
now  presents?  Within  the  last  fifteen  years 
Russia  has  made  more  important  conquests, 
during  a  time  of  profound  peace,  than  any 
other  warlike  nation  has  made  by  repeated 
victories.  One  arm  is  placed  on  Persia,  in¬ 
tent  on  the  exclusion  of  British  influence,  the 
other  on  Turkey,  one  foot  on  Asia,  the  other 
on  Poland. 

Napoleon  has  said,  “  Avant  cinquante  ans 
r Europe  sera  Republicaine  ou  Cosaque.”  If 
Russia  is  to  continue  progressing  as  she  has 
done,  the  republicans  will  have  little  chance. 

The  discussion  of  the  great  question,  which 
is  slowly  but  inevitably  approaching,  will 
show  how  far  the  English  government  is  pre¬ 
pared  to  assert  our  rights,  and  protect  our  in¬ 
terests  as  strenuously  as  the  country  is  enti¬ 
tled  to  expect  at  their  hands.  The  commerce 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


191 


of  the  Mediterranean  is  of  itself  an  object  of 
great  importance  to  England,  whose  views 
are  unremittingly  directed  to  the  extension 
of  her  trade  and  wealth.  The  basin  of  that 
sea  is  indispensable  in  that  view,  when  con¬ 
sidered  as  a  vast  harbour  between  three  con¬ 
tinents,  the  natural  entrepot  oi  each,  and  above 
all,  the  point  to  which  may  converge  the  two 
great  roads  by  land  to  our  Indian  possessions, 
formerly  well  known  to  the  nations  of  anti¬ 
quity.  The  one  through  Asia,  the  other 
through  Africa.  The  Egyptian  power,  mis¬ 
tress  of  the  mouths  of  the  Nile,  and  of  its 
banks  to  a  considerable  distance,  may  at  its 
own  pleasure  either  open  or  close  the  road  to 
India  through  Africa;  in  like  manner  Russia 
either  occupies  now%  or  threatens  to  occupy, 
all  the  issues  which  lead  through  Asia  to  our 
Indian  colonies. 

The  road  through  Africa  is  incontestably 
the  most  practicable,^  and  the  most  sure, — 
hence  a  good  understanding  with  Mehemet 
Ali  became  at  once  a  great  object  of  policy 

*  Five  years  ago  there  was  not  a  single  steam. vessel  of  any  na¬ 
tion  plying  from  Egypt,  now  those  of  England,  France,  Austria, 
and  Egypt,  number  eighteen  regular  opportunities  to  and  fro  every 
month  from  Alexandria.  The  Lloyd’s  Austrian  Company  expect 
to  pass  letters  between  Alexandria  and  London,  via  Trieste,  in 
nineteen  days. 


192 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


for  E ngland .  W e  winked  at  his  aggressions 
on  the  Porte ;  we  saw  with  complacency  the 
march  of  Ibrahim  on  Constantinople;  we 
looked  to  the  formation  of  an  independent 
kingdom  at  Alexandria,  which  would  be 
mainly  devoted  to  us;  and  therefore  remained 
deaf  to  the  cries  of  our  old  ally  for  assistance ; 
when  the  sudden  intervention  of  the  Czar  in 
the  Tur co-Egyptian  conflict  dissipated  a  part 
of  these  flattering  delusions,  and  established 
his  own  influence  permanently  in  that  quarter. 
When  at  last  the  Russian  fleet  returned  to 
Sebastopol,  and  a  treaty  of  peace  was  made 
between  the  Sultan  and  his  vassal,  where  w^as 
Old  England  then,  with  all  her  interests  in 
the  Levant  and  in  Asia?  Silent,  in  the 
background;  while  Admiral  Roussin  claimed 
for  France  all  the  merit  of  that  interference. 
A  change  of  policy  on  our  part  became  ne¬ 
cessary  ;  we  found  that  if  we  encouraged  Me- 
hemet,  however  privately,  we  must  give  up 
our  intercourse  with  the  Porte,  who  would 
then  more  immediately  throw  herself  into  the 
arms  of  Russia.  We  have  ever  since  been 
placed  in  that  embarrassing  position,  with 
both  parties,  which  inconsistent  and  tortuous 
counsels  must  always  produce. 

The  Asiatic  road  is  longer  than  the  African, 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


193 


beset  with  dangers  and  difficulties;  it  is  not 
jet  accomplished ;  hut  if  such  a  door  to  the 
commerce  of  Europe  he  one  day  opened,  the 
results  must  be  incalculable,  though  not  un¬ 
attended  with  jealousy  on  the  part  of  Eng¬ 
land,  as  an  approach  to  her  colonies.  On 
Russi^  alone  will  devolve  the  task  of  exe¬ 
cuting  this  work;  but  as  the  natural  issue  of 
such  a  communication  with  India  must  centre 
in  the  Black  Sea,  if  England  finds  herself  at 
last  excluded  from  that  navigation,  all  the  ad¬ 
vantage  to  be  derived  from  this  new  inter¬ 
course  with  her  own  colonies  will  be  lost  to 
her,  and  completely  monopolized  by  her  rival. 
These  are  some  of  the  principal  motives 
which  must  compel  England  to  maintain  her 
superiority  in  the  one  sea,  and  assert  her 
right  to  admission  into  the  other :  it  remains 
to  be  seen  how  far  our  government  is  prepared 
to  act  against  an  adversary  who  has  made 
such  formidable  preparations  on  his  side. 

The  battle  of  Navarino,  that  sad  mistake, 
which  was  afterwards  qualified  as  an  un¬ 
toward  event,”  has  crippled  for  ever  the  means 
of  the  Sultan.  It  w^as  well  described  by  a 
venerable  English  diplomatist,  when  he  said, 
It  was  a  very  good  fight,  but  you  knocked 
down  the  wrong  man.” 


194 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


We  have,  it  is  true,  on  onr  side  the  famous 
quadrupartite  treaty,  an  alliance  which  was 
pompously  planned  by  M.  de  Talleyrand  and 
my  Lord  Palmerston,  as  a  check  to  all  the 
Northern  powers ;  but  the  Prince  has  retired 
from  public  life,  to  his  chateau  at  Valen^aye, 
and  this  eminent  piece  of  jugglery  has  be¬ 
come  a  dead  letter.  Perhaps,  during  his 
daily  drives  through  the  forest  of  Gatines, 
that  wily  statesman,  qui  depuis  soixante  ans 
a  joue  les  peiiples  et  les  couronnes  sur  Vechi- 
quierde  Vunivers,  may  relax  his  impassable 
features  with  a  smile,  when  he  reads,  in  the 
Journal  des  Debats,  a  detailed  account  of 
Evan’s  discomfitures5  and  the  maze  of  diffi¬ 
culties  in  Spain,  which  his  last  diplomatic 
legacy  has  entailed  on  the  British  cabinet. 

Louis  Philippe  has  gained  all  that  he 
wanted  by  the  English  connexion;  he  had  too 
much  good  sense  to  interfere  seriously  in 
Spain;  and  if  English  objects  alone  are  to  be 
obtained  in  the  East,  he  will  be  equally 
passive.  Besides,  the  radical  tendency  of 
our  government  savours  too  much  of  the  doc¬ 
trines  which  are  now  most  strictly  repressed 
in  France,  and  a  nearer  approach  to  the  three 
legitimate  powers  would  be  infinitely  more 
gratifying  to  his  feelings.  The  two  other 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


195 


parties,  privy  to  that  treaty,  seem  to  have  oc¬ 
cupation  enough  carved  out  for  them  at  home, 
to  engross  their  attention,  without  thinking 
of  their  neighbours  or  allies. 


Some  grave  politicians,  who  undervalue 
the  power  of  Russia,  and  think  that  Messrs. 
Rothschild  are  the  arbiters  of  peace  or  war, 
significantly  allude  to,  what  they  call,  her 
vulnerable  point;  they  talk  of  her  financial 
embarrassments,  and  assert  that  the  want  of 
money  will  prevent  a  collision. 

Perhaps  these  reasoners-  are  not  aware 
that,  personally,  the  Emperor  of  Russia  pos¬ 
sesses,  in  territorial  property  alone,  a  reve 
nue  ten  times  more  considerable  than  any 
civil  list  in  Europe;  that,  speaking  financial¬ 
ly,  Russia  has  nothing  to  lose,  and  every 
thing  to  gain,  from  the  moment  that  the  seat 
of  war  is  carried  beyond  her  frontiers ;  be¬ 
sides,  that  her  internal  administration  is  less 
expensive  than  any  other;  that  her  levies  of 
troops  are  collected  with  a  surprising  econo¬ 
my  for  the  crown,  and  at  the  cost  of  the  land¬ 
ed  proprietors;  that  every  military  expedi 
tion  once  out  of  a  country  like  Russia,  is  a 
speculation  which  can  hardly  fail  to  turn 
out  profitable  to  the  empire,  as  there  is 
scarcely  on  record  a  treaty  of  peace  signed 


196 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


between  that  power  and  her  adversaries,  by 
which  she  did  not  nltimately  gain  some  ang- 
mentation  to  her  own  territory. 

E-ussia  has  connected  herself  by  family 
ties  with  Prussia,  Holland,  and  Wirtemberg, 
who  regard  her  with  a  common  feeling  of  in¬ 
terest  and  good  will ;  but  where  is  the  power 
on  the  Continent  to  which  England  can  now 
look,  I  will  not  say  for  support,  but  even  for 
a  similarity  of  views  on  any  public  question? 
Where,  indeed,  is  the  powder  who  would  not 
see  with  secret  satisfaction  any  diminution 
of  her  glory,  or  any  wound  to  her  interests? 
Our  poor  old  friend,  Holland,  is  alienated 
for  ever ;  all  Germany  views  us  with  distrust, 
and  is,  up  to  this  moment,  actively  engaged 
in  thwarting  our  commerce,  by  a  line  of 
custom-houses,  which  is  the  only  warfare 
that  circumstances  will  permit.  Austria, 
perhaps,  is  jealous  of  Russia,  but  she  is  oc¬ 
cupied  with  the  care  of  her  Italian  provinces, 
and  can  have  no  one  feeling  in  common  with 
a  government  'which  encourages  and  pro¬ 
motes  civil  w^ar.  In  addition  to  her  three 
family  alliances,  it  is  evident  that  Russia  has 
of  late  been  tampering  with  the  United  States, 
who  would  readily  be  gained  by  the  lure  of 
an  island  in  the  Archipelago,  that  great  ob- 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


197 


ject  of  their  ambition,  as  a  store-house  for 
their  goods,  and  a  haven  of  refuge  for  their 
shipping,  to  become  a  formidable  maritime 
ally  of  that  power. 

Pursuing  then  the  hypothesis  of  a  general 
collision,  we  may  imagine  Russia  in  full  pos¬ 
session  of  Constantinople,  leagued  with  Prus¬ 
sia,  which  forms  a  tete  du  pont  upon  France, 
threatening  with  her  advanced  guard  the 
gates  of  Vienna,  through  Gallicia,  and  her 
fleets  re-enforced  by  those  of  Holland  and 
America;  we  shall  then  allow  that  a  long 
train  of  preparations,  skilfully  combined,  may 
place  the  interests  of  Europe,  and  more  par¬ 
ticularly  of  England,  in  singular  jeopardy. 

A  new  system  of  the  wmrld  seems  gradual¬ 
ly  preparing  to  unfold  itself.  The  destruc¬ 
tion  of  that  great  league  which  was  signed 
at  Vienna  in  1815,  now  accomplished  by  the 
secession  of  England  and  France,  has  given 
new  views  and  objects  to  the  other  powers. 
There  are  three  nations,  Prussia,  Wirtem- 
berg,  and  Bavaria,  which  seem  geographi¬ 
cally  to  interfere  with  each  other.  What 
power  can  England  'now  possess  of  inter 
posing  there,  or  calming  the  ambition  of 
those  states,  w'hile  Russia  has  already  esta¬ 
blished  an  influence  which  may  one  day 

VOL.  II. — 18 


198 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


make  her  the  supreme  arbiter  of  any  dis¬ 
putes  that  may  arise  between  them.  On 
the  other  hand,  Austria,  it  is  true,  might 
support  the  interests  of  her  ally,  Bavaria; 
but  the  wary  policy  of  that  government, 
which  prompts  her  to  secure  a  safe  retreat 
for  herself  when  the  storm  approaches,  will, 
doubtless,  be  met  by  Russia  with  a  project 
of  dismemberment,  which  shall  assign  to 
each  a  convenient  share  in  the  European 
provinces  of  the  Ottoman  empire.  If  the 
partition  of  Turkey  shall  take  place  soon 
after  the  occupation  of  Constantinople,  which, 
in  an  age  like  this,  when  any  event  is  on  the 
cards,  cannot  be  deemed  improbable,  here  is 
Austria  at  once  detached  from  the  Maritime 
powers,  and  ready  to  advocate  the  policy  of 
Russia. 

The  solution  of  this  grand  problem,  whe¬ 
ther  deferred  by  negotiation,  or  accelerated 
by  some  unforeseen  event,  is  ultimately  in¬ 
evitable;  and  who  will  venture  to  assert,  that 
in  this  advanced  stage  it  can  be  arranged  by 
pacific  means,  at  least,  in  the  Archipelago 
or  the  Mediterranean?  The  great  cry  has 
lieen  raised  throughout  the  British  empire, 
that  our  commercial  and  maritime  power  is 
openly  menaced :  a  foreign  rival  has  dared  to 
say  on  that  sea,  which  is  common  to  all, 


CITY  OF  THE  CZAR. 


199 


far  shall  ye  go,  and  no  farther.”  The  nation 
has  been  threatened  on  that  element  which 
has  been  the  scene  of  her  constant  triumphs. 

While  these  humiliations  have  been  pre¬ 
paring  de  longue  main  against  our  honour 
and  interests  abroad,  a  pitiful  economy  at 
home^ias  been  paring  down  the  supplies  of 
our  navy;  a  loan  has  been  voted  to  Greece 
for  Russian  purposes,  and  near  a  million  of 
money  squandered  in  promoting  a  civil  war 
in  Spain ;  which  of  itself  would  have  sufficed 
to  place  our  fleets  in  an  imposing  attitude, 
to  enforce  our  rights,  and  avenge  our  injured 
dignity. 


Quem  Deus  vult  perdere,,  prius  dcmentat. 


THE  END. 


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